Greece closes in on visa-free travel to US
29/06/2009
Agreements signed between Athens and Washington at the weekend move Greece closer to the US Visa Waiver Programme.
(Various sources -- 18/06/09-29/06/09)
 The agreements also serve as an essential step towards strengthening bilateral relations, Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis said. [OSCE] |
Greeks may soon be able to travel to the United States without the inconvenience of applying for a visa. The country is now a step closer to joining the US Visa Waiver Programme (VWP), which currently includes most other EU countries.
On Sunday (June 28th), Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis and US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg signed two accords that pave the way for inclusion. The agreements -- a Memorandum of Understanding and a co-operation agreement on tackling serious crime -- were signed on the sidelines of the OSCE ministerial conference in Corfu.
"There are just a few steps left, and some administrative actions, to complete this process," Steinberg said after his meeting with Bakoyannis, adding that he expects a wrap up in the next five months.
The Greek Foreign Ministry and the US State Department drafted the two texts that envision the reciprocal protection of personal data and adherence to legal procedures. The agreements also serve as an essential step towards strengthening bilateral relations, Bakoyannis said.
She added that Greece's VWP membership will have a positive effect on economic co-operation between the two countries.
The effort has won support from key backers in the United States. "I strongly believe that Greece's participation [in the programme] would improve our national security and enhance our economic, cultural, security and political partnership with Greece," Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL) said.
Currently all but five EU-member countries participate in the VWP. In addition to Greece, the other exceptions are Poland, Cyprus, Romania and Bulgaria.
Greeks feel that the change has been long in coming.
"This change would benefit Greek-American relations. Greeks are very hospitable, and I have discovered by traveling to the United States that the same applies to Americans. Such a change would be beneficial to both countries," Aikaterini Papadopoulou, 73, told Southeast European Times.
Economist Maria Karra, 27, pointed to the hassles involved in the current process. "Traveling visa-free to the United States would be a very positive development since Greeks would avoid all the bureaucracy involved and their life will be easier in this respect," she said.
"As Americans visit Greece without a visa, in the same manner Greeks should visit the United States without one," said Thanassis Spanopoulos, 36, of Athens.
Konstantinos Soukos, a 34-year-old physical education instructor, echoed that sentiment, adding "Greece is a member of the EU and since other EU members travel visa-free to the United States, the same should apply to Greeks."
SETimes correspondent Christos Ringas contributed to this report.
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