Local authorities in Arad have several projects aimed at strengthening the connections between neighbouring communities in Romania and Hungary, following the country's full accession to the Schengen Area. These include a new road and a bus line that will directly link the towns of Pecica and Batania, as well as a cross-border ambulance service.

The towns of Pecica and Batania, which are separated by the border between the two countries, have been twinned since 1994 and have collaborated closely over the years, especially after Romania's accession to the European Union, when many residents of Arad County began buying houses across the border. Around 1,000 Romanians now live in the Batania area, while the town's population is around 5,000 people.

Pecica mayor Petru Antal told AGERPRES that the removal of land borders after Romania's full accession to the Schengen Area offers new opportunities for the development of the two twinned communities. An important step in this direction will be shortening the road distance from 20 kilometers to 12 kilometers by restoring a historic road that once connected Pecica to Batania, but which at present is not practicable for cars.

'We will restore the Batania Road, a historic route that, in addition to being the shortest path between Pecica and the neighbouring Hungarian town, is a symbol of the centuries-old friendship and cooperation between us. Together with the mayor of Batania, we are seeking funding solutions to begin this project, which will then allow the establishment of a direct bus line between our towns. Public transportation would be a significant step toward a closer connection between our communities, because, as we know, many people from Arad live in Batania. On the other hand, many Hungarian citizens often come to Pecica for shopping or even work in our area. In Pecica, part of the old road has already been modernised, specifically Street 222, which we have paved for a length of three kilometres, but we still have seven kilometers to the border. From there, our Hungarian partners will build a two-kilometree road that will connect with the national road in Batania,' said Pecica town mayor.

The mayor also mentioned that local authorities in both towns are already working on the technical documentation for this future road, which will allow local residents to travel between the two towns by bicycle as well.

Other similar projects connecting nearby communities in both countries are being pursued by several Arad mayors, but the Arad County Council is considering a project extending beyond the Schengen Area, involving communities from Serbia. This includes a cross-border ambulance service.

'The Arad County Council is working on a large and ambitious project related to cooperation with Hungary and Serbia to establish a cross-border ambulance service. The project is being developed by the Danube - Cris - Mures - Tisa Euroregion Association, whose presidency is held by Iustin Cionca, the president of the Arad County Council. We have been working on this project for many years, and one obstacle was the physical border, which made it difficult for emergency vehicles to cross. Other issues concern harmonising legislation in the three countries, and we are in discussions with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Interior in each of the three countries. Now that a major barrier has been removed, after our admission to the Schengen Area, we will have a practical discussion with our colleagues from Szeged, Timisoara, and Novi Sad, because this project really has a future. I know there are reservations regarding it, mainly related to the reimbursement of cross-border medical services and the regulation of medication in the three countries, but the model for this cross-border ambulance service works in some Western countries and could save lives on the busy roads in our area. Essentially, the project means that the nearest ambulance will intervene in any emergency, regardless of the country from which it comes. This means that in border communities, patients could be picked up more quickly, and given that there are situations where a few minutes can save a life, we can understand the benefits of this project,' Arad County Council Director of Communication and Strategies Andrei Ando told AGERPRES.

The local authorities in Arad are also planning to attract labour force from eastern Hungary to the industrial zones in the county to minimise reliance on 'imported' workers from non-EU countries.

Recently, Andrei Ando had told AGERPRES that the main concern of investors in the county was finding workers, and that 'eastern Hungary could be a labour force reservoir for western Romania.'

'The Arad County Council has been preparing for Schengen for five years. We have modernised the entire cross-border road network, using European funds, to ensure easy access for Hungarian workers to the 11 industrial zones in the county. We need both skilled and unskilled workers, and the demand from economic agents is very high. Almost weekly, we receive requests from multinational companies that want to come to Arad, but their main concern is the lack of workforce,' Ando said in December. AGERPRES (RO - author: Marian Buga, editor: Irina Poenaru; EN - editor: Adina Panaitescu)