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US warns EU over barriers ... enable the Czech Republic to join the U.S. visa waiver programme probably this autumn. Mate pointed out that most EU members want to take a joint stance during the negotiations about U.S. visa requirements and support the proposals prepared by the Slovenian EU presidency before today's meeting of the EU interior ministers. The Slovenian presidency proposed certain rules, outlining what matters would be subject to the EU powers and what issues the member states could negotiate bilaterally, Mate said. He added that a compromise must be reached in this respect. EU countries' ambassadors on Wednesday failed to find a joint position for the visa talks with the United States. They did not agree whether the countries could negotiate with the United States bilaterally as the Czech Republic did or not. According to diplomatic sources, the Czech step was supported by Hungary, Slovakia and Baltic countries. On the other hand, Poland, Slovenia and the old EU member states support the idea that the EC should negotiate the visa issues on behalf of the EU instead of bilateral talks. A trustworthy source said the countries that had been included in the U.S. visa waiver programme would like to postpone the talks on visas, while the member states seeking the lifting of the U.S. visa duty pushed for a quick solution. The United States has visa-free relations with all old EU members except for Greece, as well as Slovenia from the EU newcomers. Citizens of other new EU countries need visas for travelling to the USA. U.S. citizens can travel to the whole of the EU without visas.
(Ceske Noviny)
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