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In Vienna, PNL’s Chairman Nicolae Ciuca met Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer
National Liberal Party (PNL) Chairman Nicolae Ciuca on Monday said he agreed in Vienna with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer that a technical analysis should determine the measures to be implemented and followed in the future regarding Romania's accession to Schengen with its land borders, noting that there is hope for a final decision.
'We had discussions regarding everything that has happened during this period and the fact that Romania has met all the standards it committed to for fulfilling the Schengen acquis. The numbers that Austria has faced regarding the number of migrants were also highlighted, that is 126,000 per year. Since the implementation of these measures by Romania's Interior Ministry, along with the cooperation between the interior ministries of our country, Bulgaria, and Austria, there has been a significant decrease in these figures. This is why, at this moment, we have moved on to technical discussions between the interior ministers, the Border Police institutions of the three countries. I agreed with the Austrian Chancellor that this technical analysis will continue, and we will establish which measures will be implemented and followed in the future. This will happen on [November] 22 in Budapest, when a meeting of the interior ministers of Romania, Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, and the European Commissioner for Home Affairs will take place. It's an important step, and this gives us hope that we will have a final decision,' Nicolae Ciuca said at Otopeni Airport, upon his return from the visit to Austria.
He also noted that the discussions included the bilateral relations between Romania and Austria.
'I explained to the Austrian Chancellor that it's not just about the EU border; it's about Romania's border, and our responsibility in this regard is very strong,' Ciuca said.
The PNL leader emphasised that the Austrian official acknowledged that Romania had fulfilled the commitments made under the Dublin Agreement.
Ciuca thanked the foreign and interior ministers, as well as Romania's ambassador in Vienna, for their efforts regarding Romania's accession to the Schengen Area.