In the context of the official visit to Croatia, on March 28th, Mr. Lucian Nicolae BODE, Minister of Internal Affairs, had a bilateral meeting with his Croatian counterpart, Mr. Davor BOŽINOVIĆ.
During the meeting, the two dignitaries emphasized that the dialogue in the field of internal affairs, based on similar visions and common or very close positions regarding most aspects of the regional, European and international agenda, is an excellent one and is carried out at all levels.
European topics of common interest were discussed, such as asylum and migration, Romania’s accession to the Schengen area, issues on the bilateral agenda with an emphasis on police cooperation and emergency situations, as well as other topics regarding security in the region. The two ministers reiterated their common interest in fighting crime in all its forms, as well as establishing the best ways of cooperation, including from the perspective of continuing the deployment of officers from the Romanian Police who will support their Croatian colleagues in the „Safe Tourist Destination” project „.
Related to the European agenda, the two dignitaries exchanged opinions on the main pending files, with an emphasis on the expansion of the Schengen area. Regarding the accession to the Schengen area, the Romanian minister congratulated his Croatian counterpart for the exceptional achievement at the end of last year. Regarding Romania’s accession to the Schengen area, Mr. BODE emphasized on Romania’s expectation that this year it will become a Schengen member state.
At the same time, the Romanian dignitary highlighted Romania’s involvement in regional efforts to reduce migration flows, although Romania is not on the migration route of the Western Balkans.
At the end, the interlocutors appreciated the very good and constructive discussions they had, on which occasion they reconfirmed once again the excellent collaborative relationship between the two ministries of the interior.
