Members of the European Parliament from Romania and Bulgaria say their countries should stick together in their efforts to join the Schengen Zone.
They propose preparing joint initiatives to stress how important it is for them to become part of the zone.
According to Bulgarian MEP Ilhan Kyuchyuk, they plan to hold conferences in their respective countries, to underscore the importance of Schengen membership, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
These comments were made during a conference in Sofia, where MEPs also pointed out that both countries aim to join Schengen in autumn 2023. They said making separate bids would cause economic harm and ic and political rifts.
“The Danube is not only a physical border, but also a cultural border. We have to build bridges – cultural bridges. We should stick together,” said Vlad Botos, a Romanian MEP.
He said that the neighbors entered the EU together in 2007 and will enter Schengen together, as well. Bulgaria and Romania are also planning to join the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Deputy Bulgarian Prime Minister, Atanas Pekanov, said that joining Schengen, OECD and the eurozone should be priorities for both countries.
Romania, Bulgaria, Malta, Cyprus and Croatia are the only EU members who haven’t joined OECD yet.
In December, Austria and the Netherlands opposed Bulgaria’s entry, while Austria was against the Romania to becoming a member.
Both countries, which border the Black Sea hope to be admitted this year and have emphasizing the contribution of the countries to prevent illegal migration to the Union.
According to the Romanian president, Klaus Iohannis, the countries are doing everything to protect the EU’s external borders, and they expect to receive a positive vote from the Member States for entry into Schengen in 2023.
