Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BRATISLAVA928
2006-11-28 17:25:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Bratislava
Cable title:
SLOVAK MFA WELCOMES PRESIDENT?S VWP ANNOUNCEMENT
how-toVZCZCXYZ0009 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHSL #0928 3321725 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 281725Z NOV 06 FM AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0491 INFO RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000928
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CVIS PREL KPAO LO
SUBJECT: SLOVAK MFA WELCOMES PRESIDENT?S VWP ANNOUNCEMENT
REF: STATE 191878
Per REFTEL Ambassador briefed FM Kubis on the President's
Visa Waiver Program Initiative. The MFA subsequently
released the following statement.
BEGIN TEXT (Informal translation):
The Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs greatly appreciates
and welcomes the initiative of the U.S. President George
Bush to modify the visa waiver program which he announced
during his visit to Estonia. A visa waiver program for
citizens of the new EU member countries when traveling to
the U.S. that meets security requirements should make
traveling easier.
We perceive the visa duty as the only open problem in the
bilateral relations with the U.S. This topic has been
presented by Slovak representatives at every level: within
the framework of bilateral negotiations in the EU as well
as through Coalition Visa Equity. That's why we understand
President Bush's statement from Tallinn as the result of
many years of activity and we consider it as an
accommodating step on the part of the U.S. towards the
solution of this issue which burdens our bilateral
relations in vain.
The Slovak Republic is ready to continue working in close
cooperation with the American side to fulfill the security
and technical conditions mandated by American law and
worked out in the Visa Roadmap with the aim of
participating in the visa waiver program. The terms for
introduction of a biometric passport have been accepted and
we are involved in meeting the terms for Schengen entry. We
introduced measures for passport protection and reporting
lost and stolen passports and the visa refusal rate has
been gradually decreasing.
Visits by the Slovak Foreign Minister, Jan Kubis, and other
Slovak representatives in the first half of the coming year
will focus on discussion about the nature of the new
security elements announced by the American President. We
believe that through joint effort with our American as well
as European partners we will resolve the issue
successfully.
END TEXT.
VALLEE
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CVIS PREL KPAO LO
SUBJECT: SLOVAK MFA WELCOMES PRESIDENT?S VWP ANNOUNCEMENT
REF: STATE 191878
Per REFTEL Ambassador briefed FM Kubis on the President's
Visa Waiver Program Initiative. The MFA subsequently
released the following statement.
BEGIN TEXT (Informal translation):
The Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs greatly appreciates
and welcomes the initiative of the U.S. President George
Bush to modify the visa waiver program which he announced
during his visit to Estonia. A visa waiver program for
citizens of the new EU member countries when traveling to
the U.S. that meets security requirements should make
traveling easier.
We perceive the visa duty as the only open problem in the
bilateral relations with the U.S. This topic has been
presented by Slovak representatives at every level: within
the framework of bilateral negotiations in the EU as well
as through Coalition Visa Equity. That's why we understand
President Bush's statement from Tallinn as the result of
many years of activity and we consider it as an
accommodating step on the part of the U.S. towards the
solution of this issue which burdens our bilateral
relations in vain.
The Slovak Republic is ready to continue working in close
cooperation with the American side to fulfill the security
and technical conditions mandated by American law and
worked out in the Visa Roadmap with the aim of
participating in the visa waiver program. The terms for
introduction of a biometric passport have been accepted and
we are involved in meeting the terms for Schengen entry. We
introduced measures for passport protection and reporting
lost and stolen passports and the visa refusal rate has
been gradually decreasing.
Visits by the Slovak Foreign Minister, Jan Kubis, and other
Slovak representatives in the first half of the coming year
will focus on discussion about the nature of the new
security elements announced by the American President. We
believe that through joint effort with our American as well
as European partners we will resolve the issue
successfully.
END TEXT.
VALLEE