Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BUDAPEST1047
2008-11-04 13:29:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Budapest
Cable title:  

Secretary of Homeland Security Chertoff's visit to

Tags:  PREL CMGT CVIS HU 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO2640
RR RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV
DE RUEHUP #1047 3091329
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 041329Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3531
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 0035
UNCLAS BUDAPEST 001047 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL CMGT CVIS HU
SUBJECT: Secretary of Homeland Security Chertoff's visit to
Budapest, October 28-29, 2008

UNCLAS BUDAPEST 001047

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL CMGT CVIS HU
SUBJECT: Secretary of Homeland Security Chertoff's visit to
Budapest, October 28-29, 2008


1. Summary: Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff
visited Budapest October 28-29, in connection with Hungary's
accession to membership in the Visa Waiver Program and to discuss
security issues with Hungarian counterparts. The official program
took place on October 28, 2008, with the Secretary departing Hungary
early the following morning. The Secretary met with Hungarian
Minister of Justice and Law Enforcement Tibor Draskovics, Minister
without Portfolio Gyorgy Szilvasi, and Senior State Secretary for
Foreign Affairs Marta Fekszi. The Secretary also held a joint press
conference with Minister Draskovics and State Secretary Fekszi on
the Visa Waiver Program, ESTA, and related issues. End Summary.


2. Secretary Chertoff visited Hungary October 28-29, 2008 following
up on President Bush's October 17 White House announcement that
seven new countries, including Hungary, are to join the Visa Waiver
Program (VWP). While in Hungary, the Secretary officially announced
November 17 as the effective date for Hungarian citizens to start
traveling under the VWP. He announced further that Hungarians may
begin to apply immediately online for ESTA travel authorization.


3. Every Hungarian interlocutor expressed their appreciation and
delight that this long-sought goal was attained. Hungary sees this
as an important milestone in its efforts to achieve parity and
equality with other European Union countries. All Hungarian
political parties supported efforts to join the VWP and voted in
support of the agreements on closer security cooperation that served
to make it possible.


4. Hungarian Minister for Justice and Law Enforcement Tibor
Draskovics briefed the Secretary on the status of the legislation to
enact the Preventing and Combatting Crime Agreement, which the
Hungarian President Laszlo Solyom had returned to Parliament on
October 20. Minister Draskovics explained that the President's
concerns related, not to the Agreement with the United States, but
to the underlying legislation governing the Hungarian fingerprint
database. President Solyom expressed concerns that this database
also contained fingerprints belonging to victims of crime and
witnesses, not exclusively those of individuals suspected, indicted,
or convicted of crimes.


5. Minister Draskovics confirmed, both in the meeting and in the
later press conference, that the Government of Hungary (GOH)
approved a plan to simultaneously resubmit the Agreement to
Parliament along with legislation to address President Solyom's
concerns regarding the underlying database, specifically, by
segregating the fingerprint data so that the criminal database will
only include data associated with criminals and criminal suspects.
The GOH presented that legislation to Parliament on October 28, and
expected to vote on it November 3. Draskovics also stated that he
had met with President Solyom earlier that morning to brief him on
the GOH's plans. Draskovics expressed his confidence, based upon
that meeting, that President Solyom would be satisfied by the steps
taken to address his concerns.


6. Minister Draskovics also asked Secretary Chertoff about plans to
discuss implementing arranagements for the Agreement. DHS Assistant
Secretary Barth advised the Minister that the USG would be following
up with partner governments for all of the similar agreements in the
coming weeks and months.


7. At the joint press conference, Secretary Chertoff described
Hungary's membership in the VWP as "sweeping away the last dust of
the iron curtain." He emphasized that the United States visa policy
for Hungarian citizens will now be identical as that for Western
European countries such as Britain and Germany.


8. Post will report separately on specific issues raised in
Secretary Chertoff's meetings. This cable was cleared by the DHS
delegation.

Foley