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President Iohannis conveys to Dutch ForMin Hoekstra Romania's legitimate expectation to join Schengen in 2023
President Klaus Iohannis on Friday welcomed visiting Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace to tell him about Romania's expectation to join the Schengen area in 2023.
According to the Presidential Administration, Hoekstra's visit takes place as part of enhanced bilateral dialogue and co-operation and the deployment by the Netherlands of troops for the NATO battlegroup in Romania.
Iohannis praised the high level of relations between the two countries and emphasised Romania's interest in further developing its relationships with the Netherlands, which are based on close coordination inside the European Union and NATO, as well as on solid bilateral political and economic relations.
"The Kingdom of the Netherlands is topping the ranking of foreign investors in Romania's economy and is a leading commercial partner, as the two countries share a common interests in deepening bilateral co-operation in areas such as defence, energy, climate change and food security," the Presidential Administration mentions.
According to the Presidential Administration, Iohannis conveyed to Hoekstra the legitimate expectation of Romania to join the Schengen area in 2023 and the importance of continuing the Dutch support to Romania in that endeavour.
In his turn, Hoekstra reconfirmed the active support of the Netherlands for the fastest possible accession of Romania to the Schengen area.
Iohannis thanked for the presence of Dutch troops in Romania as part of the NATO battlegroup led by France, a presence that is an important and appreciated contribution to strengthening defence on NATO's eastern flank and ensuring stability in the Black Sea region amid the ongoing security crisis.
Regarding the war started by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, Iohannis expressed his concern about the developments in the region and emphasised that Romania will continue to support Ukraine and the Ukrainian people for as long as needed.
He reiterated the importance of supporting the resilience and defence capability of the European Union's Eastern Neighbourhood partners, especially Moldova, to help them overcome the challenges they face.
Hoekstra praised the high level of bilateral relations and conveyed his country's interest in strengthening economic co-operation, as well as co-operation in other areas of interest such as defence, climate change, energy and information technology.
He added that the Netherlands will continue to be part of the NATO deterrence and defence posture on the eastern flank, for the creation of more coherent and stronger defence in the region.