Slovakia to sign US visa agreement amid EU concerns

(BRATISLAVA) - Slovakia will sign a deal on Monday paving the way for visa-free travel to the United States before the end of the year, amid EU concerns on the subject, the Slovak interior minister said Friday.

"I am very happy to announce that Slovakia will sign a memorandum of understanding regarding the visa-free system on Monday at the Ministry of Homeland Security" in Washington, Robert Kalinak told a press conference.

He said he hoped Slovaks could travel to the United States without visas "before the end of the year".

US Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Thursday Washington will negotiate visa deals with European nations on a country-by-country basis rather than with the EU Commission.

Bilateral deals to allow visa-free US travel has caused consternation in Brussels, where the commission traditionally negotiates on behalf of the entire European Union membership.

Without the waiver, currently only enjoyed by 15 EU member states, citizens from Greece and 11 of the 12 newest states -- Slovenia is the exception -- are obliged to have visas, even for a short stay, when they arrive on US soil.

The United States has already signed visa waiver deals with Estonia and Latvia. Lithuania is to sign a similar deal on Monday in Washington.

The current rush of deal-making follows an initial agreement by the Czech Republic with Washington last month after Prague apparently tired of the slow pace of negotiations led by the commission, the EU's executive branch.

A memorandum of understanding is part of the process of joining the US visa waiver programme but does not alone guarantee entry to the scheme.

Slovakia may not fulfill the 10-percent ceiling requirement of refused visa applications, the current rate being about 12 percent, according to US estimations.