Schengen thaw

Romania lifts NATO blockade against Austrian army

NATO's military headquarters in Mons, Belgium (archive photo)

(Bild: Gemeinfrei)

Because Austria vetoed Schengen accession, Romania has returned the favor: The accreditation of two Austrian Armed Forces officers to NATO was delayed for months - now Bucharest has lifted the blockade.

As reported by "Die Presse", Romania had repeatedly prevented the accreditation of the two officers by interrupting the so-called "silent procedure" with requests to extend the deadline.

Ministry confirms green light
In the meantime, Austria has held out the prospect of extending the Schengen area to Romania and Bulgaria, at least by sea and air, under the heading of "Air Schengen". The Ministry of Defense has therefore confirmed that Romania has given the green light for the army officers.

In a statement it said: "The officers will be able to take up their posts in NATO structures as soon as the administration of the accreditation has been completed". According to "Presse" information, the two officers will be based at NATO's Allied Joint Force Command in Brunssum, the Netherlands, and in Mons, Belgium, NATO's military headquarters, as soon as the final formalities for accreditation have been completed.

Tanner: "Considerable contribution"
Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner (ÖVP) commented: "Austria has always played a constructive role as an integral part of the European security architecture in cooperation within the framework of the Partnership for Peace and this should remain the case in the future. Austria has been working for decades within the framework of international crisis management on operations to maintain peace and security, making a considerable, above-average contribution in relation to its population".

Minister Tanner praises the international commitment of the Austrian Armed Forces.

(Bild: krone.tv)

Romanian defense minister comes to Vienna
Tanner also sees the upcoming bilateral visit of Romanian Defense Minister Angel Tîlvăr to Vienna at the end of February as a positive sign of constructive cooperation.

Although Austria is not a NATO member, it cooperates with the alliance in many ways under the umbrella of the so-called "Partnership for Peace" (PfP). In Kosovo, for example, Austrians are taking part in the NATO-led (and UN Security Council-mandated) KFOR mission.