USR (Save Romania Union) chairwoman Elena Lasconi, who is running in the May presidential election, on Sunday stated in Focsani that the suspension of the implementation of the Visa Waiver programme for Romania is not a decision directed against our country, but is part of a general review of the United States’ migration policy.

She claimed that prime minister Marcel Ciolacu made premature promises last year, during the electoral campaign, regarding the elimination of visas for Romanians.

„My opinion is that the United States has nothing to do with Romania. It’s just that Donald Trump made some promises during the electoral campaign. (…) So what are they doing? They are reviewing dozens of states, dozens, including Romania. (…) He is reviewing these entries into the United States because they have a problem with migration,” said Elena Lasconi.

The USR leader explained that the Trump administration is reevaluating the visa regime for several countries, but that Romania should not be affected, because Romanians are not interested in emigrating to the US, but only in traveling for tourist purposes.

„As president, I would have called him and told him very clearly: the Romanians who were interested in emigrating to the United States did so before the Revolution of 1989. After the Revolution, the Romanians who went to the United States left money in the United States. They went on vacation, they went to see their friends, maybe. No one is interested in going and working in the United States or living in the United States, because we have a choice between 26 states in the European Union, where we are closer to home, we can get home faster. Romanians, you know, are missing their home, they want to come for Easter, they want to come here for Christmas, they don’t want to go to the United States. Moreover, those who arrive in the United States arrive by air and there their controls on the airports are thorough. (…) In other words, Romanians are not interested in going to the States to live there, they are interested in going on vacation, seeing what New York is like, going shopping, they are leaving money there, because there, you know very well, there are substantial discounts twice a year and people go shopping,” said Lasconi.

Regarding the change of the foreign minister and Romania’s foreign policy, Lasconi criticized the lack of courage of Romanian officials, mentioning that a Foreign Minister who acts firmly is needed.

„I think not because of this [the issue with the Visa Waiver – editor’s note], but he should be changed, because it seems to me that we need a courageous foreign minister. We need, now more than ever, courageous politicians,” argued Elena Lasconi.

The USR president was in Vrancea on Sunday, where she met with people from several localities and held a press conference.

AGERPRES