Talks on Romania's full Schengen accession are making progress, Foreign Affairs Minister Luminita Odobescu told a press conference on Monday, stating that she is "optimistic" about the outcomes."An official decision regarding the final, full entry to the Schengen Area must go through a series of mandatory institutional steps. We are optimistic, but we are still working in this direction and I can say that the outlooks are positive due to Romania's readiness not only in what concerns the fulfillment of the accession criteria, something that is already known, but also thanks to what we did in terms of protecting the EU's external borders, to the permanent and constant dialogue we had with the other states, and to our contribution to ensuring the security of the external borders," the Romanian top diplomat said.Odobescu said that "the last months' results in considerably reducing and, in particular cases, even in eliminating illegal migration in the region are also due to the considerable efforts put in by Romania together with its external partners."The foreign minister said that at his meeting on November 22 in Budapest with his Bulgarian and Austrian counterparts, the Romanian minister of the interior will discuss the exact Schengen accession calendar and the technical details."It's encouraging that the new European Commissioner for Migration has set himself as a goal for his term the completion of this process," Odobescu pointed out.Regarding Romania's inclusion in the Visa Waiver program, the foreign minister said that there is "significant progress"."We are optimistic, the signals are positive, but there are still a number of procedural steps. This month we will receive an assessment mission of the American authorities, after which the Department of State, the Department of Homeland Security and the American Congress must go through a series of internal procedures, which we hope will be completed in a reasonable time, so that next year the Romanian citizens can enjoy Romania's full Visa Waiver status," detailed Odobescu. (Photo: www.mae.ro)
The multimedia exhibition Aici Se Vede Jazz (Here You Can See Jazz), set to open at SAC Berthelot in Bucharest, explores how jazz found its way in the pre-1990 Bucharest and “the contemporary ways to listen, visualize, perform and relate artistically to its world of sounds and ideas.” Bucharest had improvised studios, rehearsals with the […]
Aon Romania, part of the global group Aon plc, draws attention to the urgent need for structured solutions to protect trade receivables in an economic context characterized by high volatility and geopolitical uncertainty. The subject was central to the discussions at TRADE CREDIT TALKS - Receivable Protection in the Age of Volatility, where business leaders […]
Bucharest’s shopping centres posted mixed financial results in 2024, with major discrepancies between the city’s largest malls and mid-sized retail centres, according to financial analysis platform RisCo.ro. The data shows contrasts in profitability and turnover, as well as significant losses among some of the capital’s biggest retail projects. AFI Cotroceni recorded the highest turnover of […]
Nearly nine in ten Romanians expect to spend less or no more than last year on Christmas shopping, according to a new survey by tbi bank that highlights the impact of rising prices on household budgets ahead of the winter holidays. The nationwide poll, conducted in October on a sample of 1,011 respondents, shows that […]
A total of 77% of homeowners who answered a survey by ING and Ipsos said they implemented measures in the past three years to improve energy efficiency. The need to save on energy bills was the main driver of household modernization, the survey showed. Most respondents (62%) said they did so to reduce energy costs, […]
The Romanian Constitutional Court (CCR) has ruled that a series of tax increases, including higher levies on housing, land, cars based on pollution norms, and stock market gains, may take effect starting January 1, 2026, Biziday.ro reported. The Court rejected a challenge filed by the opposition party AUR against the government’s fiscal reform law, on […]
