The Diplomat
The Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, traveled yesterday to Romania and Bulgaria, where he conveyed Spain’s support to both countries to complete their incorporation into the Schengen area during the Spanish Presidency of the European Union.
Grande-Marlaska traveled yesterday to Bucharest and Sofia to hold working meetings with his counterparts from Romania, Lucian Nicolae Bode, and Bulgaria, Ivan Demerdzhiev, as part of his round of meetings with the interior ministers of the 27 to prepare for the Spanish Presidency of the European Union.
“We will work as much as possible to unblock this issue and I am confident that the formal meeting of the Council of Interior Ministers scheduled for next September will be the moment to finally achieve results”, declared Grande-Marlaska. Likewise, the minister insisted with his counterparts on the need to remove internal border controls, “both those that should have been lifted a long time ago, such as those in Romania and Bulgaria, and those that have been unjustifiably maintained since 2015.”
Grande-Marlaska also explained to his colleagues the priorities of the Spanish Presidency of the EU in the field of Interior, which focus on six axes “fundamental to strengthen security”: the war in Ukraine, the fight against terrorism and organized crime, the prevention against gender violence, civil protection and road safety, police cooperation and the approval of the Pact on Migration and Asylum.
In Bucharest, Lucian Nicolae Bode conveyed to Grande-Marlaska the importance of cooperation between the two countries in order to offer support to Romanian citizens residing in Spain, “who actively contribute to the development of the Spanish economy and culture”. The Minister also held a brief meeting with the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, who announced the awarding of the Order of National Merit, in the rank of Knight. In his words of thanks, Grande-Marlaska conveyed to the President his commitment “to redouble my efforts to deserve this honor” and to continue contributing to improving the relationship between the two countries. In the afternoon, the Minister flew to Sofia, where he met with Ivan Demerdzhiev before returning to Spain.
The visit to Bucharest and Sofia is part of the Minister’s round of meetings with his European counterparts in preparation for the Spanish Presidency of the European Union. The first bilateral meeting took place in Rome on February 3, followed by other meetings in Berlin, Warsaw and Valletta. On March 4, he also met with his colleagues from the MED5 Group in Valletta. In addition, during the last Council of Interior Ministers, held in Brussels on February 9, Grande-Marlaska met with his Belgian counterpart, Annelies Verlinden, with the Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, and with the President of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs of the European Parliament, Juan Fernando López Aguilar.
