The administration of US President Donald Trump announced on Friday (US time) that it was removing Romania from the visa-free travel program to the United States, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
The previous administration of President Joe Biden announced on January 9 that it was accepting Romania into the program, saying that the country had met strict security requirements. Visas for Romanian citizens were due to expire around March 31.
However, in late March, the Department of Homeland Security announced that it was freezing the measure in order to re-evaluate the decision to include Romania in the visa-free travel program in line with the Trump administration's concerns about the country's security. The result of the reassessment is that Romania has been removed from the program, Reuters reports.
"We are grateful to Romania for its close partnership over the years to improve security cooperation. Romania could be considered for admission (to the visa-free travel program) in the future," Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin said, quoted by Reuters.
Romania was the 43rd country included in the program and the fourth added by the Biden administration, after Croatia, Israel and Qatar, the agency recalls.
Romania's Foreign Ministry expressed regret over the decision of the US Department of Homeland Security, Agerpres agency reports.
"This possibility is provided for in the Visa Waiver Agreement. The decision comes at a time when the US authorities have made border protection and the fight against illegal immigration an absolute political and technical priority. We regret this decision, given that Romania has fulfilled all the elements that US legislation provides for access to the visa-free travel program. However, this is a political decision, which is at the discretion of the US authorities and reflects the administration's priorities," the Romanian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The ministry added that "Romania and the US remain partners, determined to strengthen cooperation in all areas."
“The Romanian government and all competent Romanian institutions and bodies will continue to take diplomatic and technical steps to obtain a visa-free regime for Romanian citizens," the Romanian Foreign Ministry stressed.
The Romanian government announced that it will continue the diplomatic dialogue with the US at the highest level in the interest of the rights of Romanians, Agerpres also reports.
“Romania has fulfilled all the technical conditions that the US administrations recommended for access to the visa-free travel program. In the context of the new policy of the US administration, we wish to continue "The Romanian government considers it essential that the American partners provide all the technical details that were the basis for the temporary suspension of Romania's decision to enter the visa-free travel program, so that the Romanian authorities can prepare detailed answers to each question," a Romanian government statement quoted by Agerpres said.
The government believes that the election of a new Romanian president after the elections on May 4 and 18 could represent the most important moment for the country to ask its American partners to resume the process of admission to the visa-free travel program.