From Europe to Europe by high-speed train

I have just had a great two-day experience: I travelled three countries (The Hague, Paris, and Brussels) in two days. I have had useful but rather tough negotiations on the Schengen enlargement issue. You can cover the distance between the three capitals incredibly fast by high-speed train. The destinations are close to each other, unlike the positions of the negotiating parties. We are still deadlocked. The inventory is now complete, as we know who thinks what and why. This, however, does not make our situation any better as the puzzle pieces will not make up the whole picture. This is a real diplomatic riddle with a solution, which still has to be found. Although I outlined several ideas, we could not get closer to telling when and how the two countries could join the Schengen area. One thing is certain: we will do our best to address the most challenging and sensitive issues. (By the way, in response to critics, I should mention that my high-profile French and Dutch negotiation partners confirmed their appreciation of the Hungarian Presidency’s activities; and their gratefulness for Hungary acting as a real Presidency in such delicate matters.)