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.
The programs Documentary Mondays and Fiction Tuesdays return at the Czech Center in Bucharest between May 13 and June 4, on Mondays and Tuesdays. Four films are part of the Documentary Mondays program, where the directors will take part in online Q&A sessions with the public. Apolena Rychlíková’s Limits of Europe, which follows the Czech journalist […]
The Bucharest National Airport Company (CNAB) has said an order was issued for the start of the construction works on an additional parking lot at the Henri Coandă International Airport, Bucharest’s main one. The parking lot, covering 20,265 sqm, will be constructed under a contract worth RON 14.89 million (without VAT) by an association between […]
Prime minister and Social Democratic leader Marcel Ciolacu reiterated the ruling coalition's decision to hold the presidential elections on September 15 for the first round and September 29 for the second round. Ciolacu added that the dates will not be changed to suit any party or individual. "We have a coalition decision that the elections […]
Romania’s economy minister, Ștefan-Radu Oprea, recently announced that Borusan Pipe will open a new production facility in the Alinso Industrial Park, located in the commune of Ariceștii Rahtivani, Prahova County, in a few months. The facility will start manufacturing pipes used in automobiles, with clients including Dacia and Ford Otosan, as well as companies from […]
The Republic of Moldova is a Guest of Honour country at this year's Bookfest, the book fair taking place in Bucharest between May 29 and June 2. Close to 40 events are part of the guest country program, from book launches to debates on current topics. Among the Moldovan authors who will be present at the […]
The Romanian medical recovery chain Centrokinetic, backed by the AGISTA growth investment fund, has recently purchased its eighth clinic, namely the Socrates Clinic in Timișoara. The completed transaction will see Centrokinetic acquire nearly 70% of the clinic's shares, with one of its founders, Dr. Armand Gogulescu, retaining a little over 30%. Plans for the immediate […]
