The Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban, has called for full membership of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen Zone, concerning land borders, by the end of this year.
Orban said that Bulgaria is ready to take the last steps for full Schengen accession, Schengen.News reports.
The Hungarian PM highlighted his country’s support regarding the finalisation of this process for the two Balkan countries.
Accession of Romania to Schengen Is in Hungary’s National Interest
Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Péter Szijjártó, has also continuously expressed his support regarding the full accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen Zone.
In Parliament’s committee on Monday, the Hungarian Minister said the government hoped the process would be finalised before the end of the Hungarian EU Presidency.
Szijjártó highlighted that Romania had taken all the necessary preparatory steps to become part of the EU’s visa-free travel zone while mentioning the difficulties arising from Romania remaining outside the Schengen Area.
Austria Applying Double Standards
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Péter Szijjártó said that Austria’s refusal of land border accession to Romania was an example of applying double standards.
The Hungarian Foreign Minister highlighted that his country’s government is constantly in consultation with Austria, according to About Hungary.
Romania’s Integration Into Schengen, Essential Step Toward Consolidation of EU
Earlier this month, the URS President, Elena Lasconi, met with the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola. The integration of Romania into the Schengen Zone was also discussed during the meeting.
Expressing gratitude to Metsola for her ongoing support for Romania’s accession to Schengen Area, Lasconi said that Bucharest’s integration into the Schengen Area is not a symbolic step but an essential step for the consolidation of the European Union.
Mentioning the losses that Austrian investors face due to Austrian rejection of Romania’s membership in the Schengen Zone in terms of land borders, recently Lasconi said that she would put pressure on Vienna for the full membership of Romania to the visa-free travel zone.
Source: https://schengen.news/hungarian-pm-calls-for-finalisation-of-romania-bulgarias-full-schengen-membership/
