Recent discussions between the former US ambassador to Austria Ronald Lauder and the US diplomat in charge of Europe, James O’Brien, with politicians in Vienna would be crucial to changing Austria’s language on the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen agreement. writes Der Standard in a story first picked up by Digi24 and G4Media.

At the same time, the cited source notes that Romania is an important ally of the US in Eastern Europe.

Der Standard also writes that Bucharest now hopes that the control at the airport will be lifted in March, and then the control at the national borders in the autumn – after the elections in Austria.

“This is also in the interests of Austrian companies, as they lose a lot of money due to the waiting time at the border,” the quoted source said.

Prime Minister Marcel Çolaku announced on Saturday evening that Austria “has made its position more flexible with regard to the Schengen area and agrees to the abolition of air borders for Romania”.

It’s a change of language from Vienna, after Austria again came out strongly against Romania and Bulgaria joining Schengen, arguing that “before expanding, the European free movement area must become better”.

Although Romanian politicians reacted positively to the news, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev said it “The conditions set by the Austrian minister unacceptable for Bulgarians”.

“What the Austrian interior minister is saying is a step forward, but we have to be very careful. It is extremely important for us to open land borders,” the president emphasized.

Romanian Interior Minister Catalin Predoiu on Sunday did not give a timetable for Romania joining the air Schengen, but said that “he hopes that Romanians will enjoy the holidays”.

“The main political relevance of the statement is that Austria changed its position, it was no longer that inflexible position. We had discussions for months before this statement. There will be further discussions because negotiations are ongoing. Finally we changed position. From now on, we enter the field of technical discussions. These discussions will also take place during the Salzburg Forum in Slovenia, where this discussion was planned, at the level of the JAI Board and at the bilateral level,” Katalin Predoju told Digi24.

We will remind you that Vienna puts forward three conditions for the acceptance of Romania into Air Schengen, i.e. the borders should be open only for air transport.

• “Further strengthening of security at the external borders of the European Union. The presence of Frontex (border police of the European Union – no) on the Bulgarian-Turkish border should be increased at least three times. In addition, it was necessary to “significantly” increase the financial support for the protection of the external borders of Bulgaria and Romania.

• Border control has been strengthened at the land borders between Bulgaria and Romania, as well as between Romania and Hungary.

• “To assume responsibility for migrants who arrived illegally in Austria” – the third condition was formulated by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Austria”, – these three conditions were put forward by Vienna