Ciolacu: Romania and Bulgaria could join Schengen with land borders in January

Romania and Bulgaria could join the European Schengen area of free movement with land borders also from January next year, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said in Brussels on Monday.

He said that Romania and Bulgaria are negotiating with Austria the final details of a document to be signed at the end of the week in Budapest.

Interior Minister Catalin Predoiu met his Austrian counterpart, Gerhard Karner, in Vienna on Monday ahead of Friday's informal meeting in Budapest.

Translated by: Radu Matei