President: I’ve informed EC's Rompuy that Romania intends to join Schengen by end-2014

Romanian President Traian Basescu has met with European Council President Herman van Rompuy on January 16 in Brussels, with the Republic of Moldova, Romania's Schengen entry and the Nabucco gas pipeline being among the topics discussed during the meeting. Related to Romania’s Schengen accession, Traian Basescu said that he has informed the President of the European Council that “Romania intends to become a member of the Schengen area by the end of the year, for various reasons”. The President stated that this is not only a country target, but also a personal objective, as his mandate ends on December 21 this year. “I wish that also this step, which targets Romania’s integration in the European Union, to be made, to be a member of the Schengen area, even if it is done in two stages,” said the President, adding that he targets October for this objective, due to “internal developments”. Basescu also said that he asked the support of the European Council's President in this matter. Romania and Bulgaria have tried to join the Schengen area for several years, but the two countries’ joining the border-free area has been constantly blocked by various EU member states. Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com (photo source: presidency.ro)