Romanians and visas for Canada

Romania and Bulgaria are set to ratify the EU-Canada trade agreement

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Newsroom, 08.07.2016, 14:00

Romania and Bulgaria are the European Union’s only member states whose citizens need an entry clearance for Canada. Yet the number of countries for which the USA has in turn applied entry clearance formalities is even greater, five. Romania is yet again among the countries required to go through the rather complicated entry clearance procedures.

If the Americans have stated that at least ahead of the presidential ballot in Romania, any talks related to easing the visa regime for Romanians was virtually out of the question, official talks with Canada on the visa regime for Romanians are underway. The talks on the visa regime imposed to Romanian citizens by the two countries were tense. Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos calmed down the spirits in extremely cautious diplomatic terms, by giving assurances that real progress has been made in the visa file.

On the other hand, Ciolos stated that, in the absence of a political decision made in Ottawa, Romania as a European Union member state, just like Bulgaria, may not ratify the European Union-Canada trade agreement. We recall that the signing of the aforementioned agreement scheduled for October depends on its previous ratification by national Parliaments. Following the visit he paid to Canada in June this year, Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos highlighted the following:

Dacian Ciolos: ”The talk I held with Prime Minister Trudeau was, I believe, a very good one. If prior to leaving for that country he said the Trade Agreement with Canada had nothing to do with the visas, after the talk, he understood he had to broach the topic at a political level and that he had to prepare a decision to that end. I firmly believe we will see Canada clarifying its position as quickly as possible and that we as a European Union member state have some kind of leverage we shall definitely use. I cannot possibly imagine Romania signing a treaty with Canada without enabling Romanian citizens to benefit from that agreement on an equal footing with the other European citizens. “

Early next week, the head of Prime Minister’s Chief of staff Dragos Tudorache will talk visas in Brussels. Dragos Tudorache.

Dragos Tudorache: ”It is the second official meeting in Brussels, on Monday, July 11th, the Commission invited Romania, Bulgaria, Immigration Minister John McCallum will also travel there, representing Canada. I shall take part in that meeting, I shall have a two-way talk with Minster McCallum and a three-way talk afterwards, to also include the Commission and Bulgaria and we shall assess the progress of the talks and of the commitment Prime Minister Trudeau made in his talks with Prime Minister Ciolos.”

The European Commission assured Bulgaria and Romania that efforts were being made so that a visa waiver is obtained. However, the Commission highlighted the two countries should not link the visa dispute to the trade agreement with Canada, an agreement Brussels rated as being a good one, and which it wants to sign this coming October. The Romanian side is optimistic in this respect, yet does not want to make a final decision on a possible solution, until official talks are perfected.