Visa free deal edging closer

TALLINN 's Estonia's desired visa-free travel status with the United States will take a step closer next week when the country will sign a memorandum of mutual understanding with the U.S.

Prime Minister Andrus Ansip Friday told reporters that the signing had been scheduled for March 12.

At a joint press conference given together with Latvian Prime Minister Ivars Godmanis Ansip said that in the opinion of both Estonia and Latvia bilateral visa waiver talks with the United States would have to be continued.

"But these talks must not bring agreements that are in contradiction with regulations of the European Union or our domestic laws," Ansip said.

A spokesman for the Estonian Foreign Ministry Thursday told BNS that in the talks with the US Estonia would stick to the joint position of the European Union agreed on at ambassadors level on Wednesday.

Wednesday evening, the European Union coordinated at the ambassadors' level the joint position the member countries must accept as the basis in talks over the visa waiver with the United States.

According to that decision the joint visa policy is in the competence of the community and member countries must observe the principle of solidarity in the issue. But the ambassadors underlined that it was in the interests of the European Union to achieve early visa waiver with the United States on equal principles for all citizens.

Richard C. Barth, US Homeland Security Assistant Secretary, said in Mid-February that Estonia could accede to the US visa waiver program already this year. Foreign Minister Urmas Paet, too, has expressed such hope.

The Czech Republic signed on February 26 a bilateral air security and visa memorandum with the aim of abolishing visas between the two countries. The Czech decision irritated the European Commission and some EU member countries who said that the Czech Republic violated the European Union's supremacy in visa and border policy.