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Hungarian minister Szíjjártó Peter, in Oradea for launching Interreg Programme VI A Ro-Hu
The Hungarian minister of foreign trade and foreign affairs Szíjjártó Peter declared in Oradea, on Tuesday, on the occasion of launching the crossborder Romania- Hungary cooperation programme Interreg VI A, that Romania should have been part of the Schengen area, a context in which economic relations between Hungary and Romania, including crossborder areas, would have had a lot to gain.
“I do not think we can speak about illegal migration or about the pressure of illegal migration when we think about Romania and I do not believe this is the reason why Romania should not accede to the Schengen area. Romania's and Hungary's economies and crossborder areas would have to gain from Romania's accession to the Schengen area. That is why I would like to ask the European Commission to reopen Romania's case for accession to the Schengen area as soon as possible. We hope the two countries which expressed their veto right will change their stand. And we hope to take advantage of bilateral relations and this cooperation as much as possible. We will back Romania with all actions to accede to the Schengen area,”said minister Szíjjártó Peter in his speech.
According to the Hungarian official, cooperation between Romania and Hungary is a strategic one, Interreg programs implemented in 7 year cycles playing an important role.
Interreg VI A Romania-Hungary programme for 2021-2027 is the third cooperation programme after Romania's accession to EU and has an overall budget of 176 million euros, of which 140 million euros are European funds and the rest are contributions of the two states.
Ro-Hu Program is coordinated by the Management Authority of the Development, Public Works and Administration Ministry, while the Oradea Regional Office for Crossborder Cooperation (BRECO), headed by Livia Banu, is the institution that hosts the Joint Secretariat and First Level Control of those programmes.
The launching event was attended by representatives of the Romanian and Hungarian governments and the European Commission, Romania's ambassador to Hungary and that of Hungary to Bucharest, chairmen of County Councils of the 8 crossborder counties and official authorities. Minister Cseke Attila who represented the Development Ministry declared that after the Oradea event he would participate, the following week, in launching the new interreg programme Romania- Moldova.
According to him, we are close to ending the Interreg V A Programme Romania-Hungary 2013-2020, with 100 projects selected for financing and the involvement of 291 partners, 68% of whom from the public domain and 32% private law beneficiaries.
Slawomir Tokarski, the Director for European territorial cooperation and representative of the European Commission, mentioned in is turn, that European borders, should be meeting points for joint projects rather than separation lines, so that the 30% Europeans who live in crossborder areas should benefit from better conditions.
About the new Interreg programme, Tokarski said that projects to be presented could have the role of adapting to new challenges, to climate changes, for improving governing and protecting the cultural patrimony.
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