UPDATE 1 - Romania, Bulgaria to join Schengen by air, sea in March

Following the opening of air and sea borders, discussions will be held on the application of the Schengen acquis at the land borders, Romania's interior ministry said.

"After 13 years, Romania is finally going to join Schengen! We have a political agreement on this," Romanian prime minister Marcel Ciolacu wrote in a social media post.

Confirming the agreement, Bulgarian prime minister Nikolay Denkov said it was reached following "long and complicated negotiations".

"Austria has committed to continue talks on opening of the land borders as well. These negotiations will be accompanied by significant support from the European Commission to protect the EU's external borders with Turkey and Serbia, aiming to decrease the flow of illegal immigrants into Europe," Denkov said during a government session on Thursday.

Restrictions on cross-border road travel are expected to be lifted in 2025, Romanian daily Adevarul reported, citing government sources.

Romania and Bulgaria, EU members since 2007, faced rejection from the Schengen area at the end of 2022 due to a veto by Austria.

The Schengen area, established in 1985, comprises 23 out of the 27 EU member states, along with Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein.