The Czechs say the negotiations have made a marked progress and that the U.S.
programme will probably be soon extended to embrace several other countries, including the Czech Republic. "This is not fully true. There was at least some progress at the national level," Tomas Haisman, director of the Interior Ministry asylum Few Czechs satisfied with democracy - poll ...
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Half of Czechs expect life to be better in their homeland - poll ... and immigration department, told CTK. In its Wednesday report, the Commission threatened to impose visas on U.S. diplomats due to insufficient progress in the elimination of visas for those EU countries whose citizens still must have visas when travelling to the USA. At present, visas are not needed only by 15 older EU countries, except Greece. Of the EU after 2004 newcomers, only Slovenians do not need them, while Czechs and Slovaks do. Americans have visa-free access to the whole EU. "We are before the gates of the U.S. visa-waiver programme," Haisman said. Deputy Interior Minister Lenka Ptackova Melicharova said Czechs might join the U.S. visa-waiver programme in the autumn. "This is very likely," Lenka Ptackova Melicharova said, adding that this was evidenced by all U.S. statements and the U.S.-Czech talks. Neither Lenka Ptackova Melicharova nor Haisman wanted to comment on any specific deadline. During Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek visit to Washington in February, the Czech Republic and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding that will enable the Czech Republic to join the U.S. visa waiver programme probably this autumn. Brussels has criticised this step, saying the bilateral agreement would complicate the efforts to find a joint EU position in the talks on visas with the United States.
(Ceske Noviny)
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