All EU citizens should have visa-free access to USA - Estonian president
11.03.2008
STRASBOURG, Mar 11, BNS - All citizens of the European Union should have the opportunity of visa-free travel to the United States, Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves told European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso today.
"We consider it necessary and inevitable for citizens of all European Union member states or, to put it more briefly, all EU citizens, to have the opportunity of visa-free travel to the United States, because this means equal treatment of all member countries," the president's office quoted Ilves as saying.
Ilves recalled that a large part of EU states has been enjoying visa-free treatment in the United States already for decades.
"We understand that this is a complex technical process, a great deal of work in which member states of the alliance, the European Commission and the United States are involved," the head of state said.
The Estonian government will on March 12 sign on interior minister's level a memorandum of understanding with the United States as a prerequisite for joining the US visa waiver program.
Latvia is also expected to sign an agreement on Wednesday and Hungary is to follow suit soon. An analogous deal concluded between the Czech Republic and the United States earlier angered the executive Commission and some of the so-called old EU countries.
Ilves and Barroso talked at some length about the bloc's energy security and energy independence. Ilves underlined the importance of forming a common stance on this issue.
Tallinn newsroom, +372 610 8861, sise@bns.ee
 
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