The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAI) announced on Wednesday that it has undertaken a series of steps for Romania’s accession to the Visa Waiver Program, including the conclusion of the Border Security Partnership (EBSP) with the USA, the implementation of the Automated Targeting System – Global Program (ATS-G), an advanced tool for screening travelers and detecting people with a high security risk, and strengthening the integrity of the process of issuing travel documents.

According to a statement from the MAI sent to AGERPRES, the Visa Waiver Program allows citizens of the included countries to travel without a visa to the United States for a period of up to 90 days, for tourism or business purposes, and Romania’s accession requires the fulfillment of strict security criteria, counter-terrorism, information exchange, immigration, travel and identity documents, as well as a rigorous screening process of travelers, reduction of the visa refusal rate, evaluation visits and consultations with the American authorities.

These criteria are included in an action plan within which the MAI carried out a series of essential operations and objectives for the realization of the VWP, the press release states.

Other measures undertaken by the MAI aim at introducing biometrics in the process of granting Romanian citizenship, as well as intensifying police cooperation with the USA.AGERPRES