Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said Romania's accession to the Schengen area as soon as possible is in Hungary's national interest.
Speaking in parliament's national cohesion committee on Monday, the foreign minister said the government hoped it could happen before the end of the Hungarian EU presidency.
Minister Szijjártó outlined the difficulties arising from Romania not being part of the Schengen regime saying that "Romania has taken all necessary preparatory steps" to be co-opted, as indicated by assessments by Brussels experts and a near-unanimous support by EU members.
Referring to Austria's refusal to back Romania's Schengen entry, Minister Szijjártó said it was an example of applying double standards. "Usually, when we decline to support something, it is immediately seen as breaching the ideals of the founding fathers and a shocking dissent from European unity ... but when a Western European country does the same it is taken as a legitimate application of rights arising from the EU treaties," he said.
The Hungarian government is in constant consultations with Austria, he said, adding, however, that "the internal situation in Austria became unstable after the recent elections were not won by the forces ruling so far". "The winner, however ... is not given a chance to form a government," he added.
Hungary is among the proponents of European support for Romania and Bulgaria to join the Schengen area as soon as possible, the minister said. Romania's Schengen accession would also be "fully in line" with the interests of that country's ethnic Hungarian community, he added.