Croatia expresses support for Romania's accession to Schengen

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - Croatia is supporting Romania's accession to the Schengen area, Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic said Tuesday.

Bozinovic's remarks came after meeting his Romanian counterpart, Lucian Bode, in the Croatian capital of Zagreb.

"We support Romania's participation in Schengen. This is important for both Romania and the European Union. We will try to express this at every opportunity,'' said Bozinovic.

Bode thanked Croatia for its support and expressed Romania's desire to be part of Schengen in 2023.

''At the meeting, I emphasized the expectation that Romania wants to become a member of Schengen this year. The various sensitive domestic issues raised by different states to justify the rejection of his candidacy cannot be considered serious problems,'' he said.

Croatia, which joined the visa-free Schengen area earlier this year, lies on a Western Balkan route frequently used by migrants heading to Central and Western Europe.

Romania, on the other hand, has concerns about Russia's aggression against its neighbor, Ukraine.