Romania may join the Schengen zone by the end of the year, President Klaus Iohannis admitted.
He said this when he arrived at the summit of European leaders in Prague, Euractiv reports.
Iohannis said there is a possibility that Romania will join the Schengen area by the end of the year as part of the Czech presidency of the EU. "But I have to say clearly, there are no guarantees yet," the Romanian president emphasized.
He admitted that the chances are higher than in the past, "because the need for unity in Europe has become even more obvious during the war that Russia is waging against Ukraine."
Iohannis is convinced that European unity will only strengthen if Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia become part of the Schengen zone.
"After so many years of waiting, I believe that all leaders have realized that this step can only strengthen the unity of the Union and the strength of our approach," he added.
In December, the EU Council will vote on whether to allow Romania and Bulgaria to enter the Schengen area after more than a decade of delay.
Interior Minister Lucian Bode said 15 of the 26 other EU member states had sent experts to Romania to assess the country's preparations for joining the border-free zone. According to Bode, the Netherlands is not included in the list of countries that have sent experts.
According to many Romanian officials, the Netherlands may be the only country opposed to Romania joining the Schengen area.
In the past, several other member states were against the accession of Romania and Bulgaria. However, both French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz have called this year for the two countries to have access to a border control-free zone.
Negotiations have been held between Bucharest and The Hague on this issue recently, and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is expected to pay an official visit to Bucharest next week.
Earlier, Prague announced that it would strive to have the European Union approve Croatia's entry into the Schengen area during its presidency.