According to Reuters, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said on Tuesday the United States is considering adding four countries to its visa waiver program that allows citizens to come to America without a visa for a stay of up to 90 days. "We have four candidates in the pipeline: Israel, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Romania," Mayorkas said on Tuesday at a travel industry event. "We're very, very focused on the program," he added, saying it provides significant economic and security benefits. In September, the United States added Croatia to the visa waiver program. U.S. Travel Association Chief Executive Roger Dow said on Tuesday adding Croatia is a $100 million boost to the U.S. economy. "Each time you add one of these countries, the travel just booms," Dow said. The White House said in August after a meeting between President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett that Biden emphasized "his administration would strengthen bilateral cooperation with Israel in ways that would benefit both U.S. citizens and Israeli citizens, including by working together towards Israel’s inclusion in the Visa Waiver Program." Mayorkas also met with Israel's U.S. ambassador in August and discussed the waiver issue. In February, Mayorkas spoke with the European Commission’s Commissioner for Home Affairs and both "expressed their continued interest in maintaining the U.S.-EU Passenger Name Record Agreement and working with Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, and Romania to meet the qualifications for the Visa Waiver Program." To participate in the program, a country must meet requirements related to counterterrorism, law enforcement, immigration enforcement, document security, and border management. There are currently 40 countries in the program. "These requirements include having a rate of nonimmigrant visa refusals below 3%, issuing secure travel documents, and working closely with U.S. law enforcement and counterterrorism authorities," DHS said last month.
Investment: 125 million euros to establish STIHL’s European Competence Center for the production of battery packs and battery-powered tools Scale: 47,000 square meters facility on a 147,000 square meters site — capacity of up to 1.8 million battery packs and 1.7 million tools by 2028 Employment: Approximately 700 jobs to be created by 2028 Network: Romania […]
A report published on Wednesday, October 15, by the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture (or CPT) urges Romanian authorities to address serious shortcomings in the treatment and conditions of detention of patients in forensic psychiatric hospitals. The deficiencies in the Romanian system were identified by the Committee representatives during a visit […]
The state-owned Electrica (BVB: EL), one of the main players in Romania’s energy sector, completed the Satu Mare 2 photovoltaic park, a strategic project that marks an important step in diversifying the production portfolio. Located near the commune of Botiz, Satu Mare County, the park has an installed capacity of 27.056 MW and represents an […]
More than 100 items, ranging from frescoes and paintings to sculptures, photographs, and other rare artifacts from Italian museums, will go on display in Timișoara for an exhibition looking at the city of Pompeii. Titled The Fragility of the Eternal. From Pompeii to the Grand Tour to Today, the exhibition will be open from November […]
Robotics startup Dexory, founded in London by Romanians Andrei Dănescu, Adrian Negoiţă, and Oana Jinga, has secured new Series C funding of USD 165 million, according to an announcement made on LinkedIn and quoted by Ziarul Financiar. The company has developed an autonomous robot, the tallest in the world, reaching 16 meters, and a platform designed […]
NEPI Rockcastle, Central and Eastern Europe’s largest owner and operator of shopping centers, has inaugurated its first photovoltaic park in Chișineu-Criș, Arad county, in western Romania. The investment is part of its green energy programme, which includes a EUR 110 million plan for photovoltaic projects across Central and Eastern Europe. According to the company, these […]
