The enlargement of the Schengen area is justified, said Deputy Interior Minister Lucia Kurilovska following a meeting of the EU Council for Home Affairs and Justice in Brussels on Thursday. At the session, it was decided that Bulgaria and Romania will become full members of the Schengen area as of January 1, 2025.
Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) welcomed the full integration of Bulgaria and Romania into the Schengen area, noting that this is a historic decision, which Slovakia has supported for a long time. Both Romania and Bulgaria will become part of Schengen as of the new year. As Blanar stated, the decision is an important moment of European cooperation and a diplomatic success of the current Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
"From the very beginning, Slovakia has supported the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen area, and now this has happened. Hungary, as part of its presidency of the Council of the EU, set this as a significant goal,“ said Kurilovska. She agrees with the European Commission's view that the larger Schengen is, the stronger the EU is.
Source: TASR
