Romanian Supreme Defense Council to meet Thursday, discuss Schengen area accession

Romania’s Supreme Defense Council (CSAT) will meet on Thursday at the presidential palace to discuss a series of topics, including Romania's accession to the Schengen Area. This is an ordinary quarterly session, whose date was set in early September and announced to the Council members on September 13. Topics on the meeting's agenda include: the NATO Summit in Lisbon, which will take pace between November 19 and 20, the EU Strategy on the Danube Region, Romania's accession to the Schengen Area, the National Public Order Strategy, the Strategy for the development of aviation within the Ministry of Interior, previous actions and results in the fight against tax evasion. The meeting will be held in the aftermath of an unauthorized protest last Friday by police officers and other Interior Ministry employees in front of the presidential palace. Following the protest, President Basescu and Prime Minister Emil Boc announced they no longer wish to be escorted by ministry personnel. On Monday, Vasile Blaga resigned from the position of minister of the interior and was replaced by Traian Igas, head of the Democratic Liberal Party's group in the Senate. The previous meeting of the Supreme Council was held on June 28 and concerned the fight against tax evasion, smuggling, money laundering and terrorism financing. The CSAT members are the President, the Prime Minister, the Defense Minister, the Interior Minister, the Foreign Affairs Minister, the Justice Minister, the Economy Minister, the Finance Minister, the head of the Romanian Intelligence Service, the head of the External Intelligence Service, the head of the General Staff, the presidential counselor on national security and the secretary of the country's Supreme Defense Council. Mediafax