Amid the informal meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council taking place on July 21 – 22 in Budapest, Romanian and Hungarian Home Affairs Ministers Catalin Predoiu and Sandor Pinter discussed on Sunday Romania’s Schengen full entry file, the Home Affairs Ministry informs in a release.
The Hungarian minister reiterated the Hungarian Presidency’s goal to obtain the decision that Romania and Bulgaria should join the visa-free area by land too until the end of 2024.
„Also, the two ministers assessed the status and perspectives of bilateral cooperation, concluding based on data and reports from the field – including statistics – that the specific measures established in order to intensify operational cooperation on the combat of organized and cross-border crime, with an emphasis on migrant trafficking, have proven their effectiveness and produced very good results. The figures regarding illegal migration have substantially dwindled in the last 12 months, as a direct result of border police cooperation,” the cited source says.
The two ministers agreed to continue cooperation with a view to removing controls at internal land borders, citing as examples the continuation of joint patrol missions, holding periodic meetings to analyze the situation at the border, as well as joint operative activities to combat organized crime, the release states.
Another topic on the agenda of discussions raised by the Romanian minister was cooperation for streamlining traffic at the Romanian-Hungarian border, which is now intense due to the summer season. The two officials agreed on a set of measures to avoid the increase in waiting times at border crossing points.
Also, Home Affairs Minister Catalin Predoiu participated in the program organized by the Hungarian Police General Inspectorate, having talks on topics related to organized crime and illegal migration.
After the bilateral meeting, the two ministers went to the command center of the police force that ensures security during Hungary’s Formula One Grand Prix and which incorporates 10 Romanian policemen, including two motormen. On this occasion, the Romanian minister inspected the Romanian echelon deployed to Hungary and had an informal meeting with its members.
AGERPRES
