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President Iohannis: Schengen file did not go as it should have, we need to negotiate more
The Schengen file "did not go as it should have," and our country is not "just one step away" from a favourable result in this file, which means that we need to negotiate more.
The head of state is participating, Wednesday to Friday, in the Western Balkans - European Union Summit.
"The Schengen file is a European file that did not go as it should have. In our case, last year, around the beginning of winter, Austria refused to give a positive vote for Romania's entry into Schengen. Since then, everyone has been negotiating, on absolutely all levels. Now, in the last period, there has been some flexibility in the Austrian standpoint, but I want to be very honest here: there is still a long way to go and many negotiations and many discussions are still needed. And, of course, our ministers, our minister of foreign affairs, our minister of interior, need to intervene, the same as our Representative Office in Brussels needs to intervene, and it did, exemplarily, it got involved in all the discussions, but I don't want anyone to believe that we are just one step away from a favourable result for Romania. We need many, many more negotiations in the future," said Iohannis.
He pointed out that Romania has assurances from everyone, "except Austria, which still has certain issues that need to be clarified in negotiations that will last."
"We are not discussing what we negotiate while negotiations are still going. Even if there are some people who do that, they present their claims in front of the journalists, then come to the negotiations, we don't do that, we go to the negotiations and only after that present the result," said Iohannis.
The head of state does not rule out an extraordinary Justice and Internal Affairs Council happening before the end of this year.
"If an acceptable compromise is reached, then there is certainly an opening to have an extraordinary Council and to close the issue," said Iohannis.