Slovenia supports Romania joining Schengen, trade group

BUCHAREST, Romania – Slovenia’s foreign minister says his country supports Romania joining the Schengen passport-free travel zone and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Karl Erjavec said Romania had fulfilled the conditions to join both organizations, of which Slovenia is already a member. The OECD is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to boosting trade.

Erjavec was in Bucharest Monday for talks on NATO and the European Union, including plans for Serbia and Montenegro to join the bloc and the future EU membership of ex-Soviet republic Moldova.

Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu said Romania was looking for “firm guarantees to ensure an equal and non-discriminatory treatment for European citizens” once Britain leaves the EU. Some 500,000 Romanians live in Britain.

Both ministers said they hoped for an increase in bilateral trade, currently worth 700 million euros ($833 million).