Chancellor Olaf Scholz is pushing for Romania to join the European Schengen area without border controls before the end of this year. “Germany is firmly on Romania’s side,” said Scholz after a meeting with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis in Bucharest.
The aim is for the country to “finally get full membership of the Schengen area this year”. Romania now fulfills all the necessary requirements for this. Iohannis was also confident that accession would be successful by the end of the year.
Immediately before the Chancellor’s departure for Bucharest, an important cooperation project between the two countries with a view to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine became known. The armaments group Rheinmetall is setting up a maintenance and logistics center for tanks, howitzers and military vehicles in Ukraine’s neighboring country, which were delivered to the Ukrainian armed forces from the west. The service station in Satu Mare near the Romanian-Ukrainian border is scheduled to start operations in April, a company spokesman said.
Scholz welcomed the step. “I am very happy that so many European member states are willing to move forward with us.”
Iohannis: “Joining will consolidate the Schengen area”
Like Bulgaria, Romania has been waiting since 2011 to be included in the Schengen area, which now includes 27 countries, including 23 EU states. The admission failed in December, mainly due to resistance from Austria. The government in Vienna justified its rejection by saying that too many migrants came to Austria illegally via Romania.
The EU countries Romania and Bulgaria already apply some of the Schengen rules, but the controls at the internal EU borders with them have so far been maintained. New members can only be admitted unanimously.
Scholz said that in all talks with European partners he would work to ensure that Schengen accession was successful this year. Everything speaks for “that this can be done now”. Iohannis thanked Scholz for Germany’s “active help”. “Romania’s accession will consolidate the Schengen area,” he said.
Scholz: Moldova “part of our European family”
Chancellor Scholz has pledged further support to the small neighboring Ukrainian Republic of Moldova on its way to the European Union and to ward off Russian attempts at destabilization. “Moldova is part of our European family,” said the SPD politician in Bucharest after meeting Iohannis and Moldovan President Maia Sandu. The Chancellor emphasized: “Moldova can be sure of our support on this path.” He very much welcomes the determination with which Moldova has tackled the necessary reforms that are essential for EU accession.
Like Ukraine, Moldova was declared an EU candidate country in June 2022. Located between Romania and Ukraine, the country with around 2.6 million inhabitants is one of the poorest in Europe. Russian soldiers have been stationed in the breakaway region of Transnistria since the 1990s. Moldova’s pro-European government accuses Russia of deliberate destabilization.
Scholz said he reads reports of Russian attempts to destabilize Moldova with great concern. “The sovereignty and territorial integrity of any state is inviolable,” he said. “That’s why we’re doing everything we can to support Moldova in arming itself against attempts by Russia to destabilize it.”
At the same time, Scholz thanked Sandu for his solidarity with Ukraine and for taking in refugees. This is a great feat. Addressing Iohannis, he highlighted Romania’s support for Moldova’s energy supply. Germany has also supported Moldova in paying its energy bill. “Cohesion and solidarity are the order of the day at a time when imperialist politics are threatening our democratic achievements and our common security in Europe,” said Scholz.
