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Salzburg Forum countries support Romania, Bulgaria to join Schengen area in next JHA Council
The Interior Ministers of the countries attending the Salzburg Forum's Ministerial Conference voiced solidarity in supporting Romania and Bulgaria to join the Schengen area in the next JHA Council, Bogdan Tohaneanu, Secretary of State with the Ministry of the Interior (MAI), told Agerpres on Thursday, October 17.
'Once again the Salzburg Forum voiced solidarity in making decisions. In the talks we held they reiterated the solidarity in supporting Romania and Bulgaria to join the Schengen area in the next JHA Council. It [solidarity] was voiced both at the time of the Hungarian P:residency and a the time of the Polish Presidency and now too, at the time of Romania's Presidency, a solidarity demonstrating that nine European Union member states firmly support Romania and Bulgaria to enter the Schengen area. It was a unanimous position as regards the support given to us and Bulgaria in joining the Schengen area,' said Bogdan Tohaneanu.
Minister of the Interior Radu Stroe said after the Salzburg Forum's Ministerial Conference came to an end, that one of the questions dealt with was connected to the prevention of illegal migration and emphasized on this occasion that it was a problem Romania faced to the lowest extent as it knows how to defend its borders very well.
'They also discussed [during the Salzburg Forum's Ministerial Conference] the measures meant to prevent illegal migration. As you probably know, Romania faces this problem to the lowest extent as it knows how to defend its sea borders, but also the other borders very well. But there is a problem in Europe generated by this migration and mainly with our Bulgarian friends,' concluded the Minister of the Interior.
The Salzburg Forum's Ministerial Conference was held in Bucharest on Thursday. It was opened by Minister of the Interior Radu Stroe.
Guests to this conference were Interior Ministers and Secretaries of State from Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia.
Also attending were the countries that belong to the Group of Friends of Salzburg Forum in the Western Balkans, namely Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, together with the Republic of Moldova as a guest, considering the special attention the EU pays to the Western Balkans when it comes to a possible new enlargement.
Through MAI, in the last six months of this year Romania holds the presidency of the Salzburg Forum, during which they promote dialogue and cooperation among the states that are members of this mechanism of political consultations and multilateral cooperation.