Romania formally fulfills all the technical requirements to be part of the Visa Waiver Program, Romania’s ambassador to the United States, Andrei Muraru, announced Tuesday in a statement on Facebook.

„The fiscal year ended in the United States yesterday [Monday – editor’s note], and the last condition Romania had to fulfill has been met. Of course, we are waiting for a confirmation from the US partners in the coming period, but our assessment, based on the number of visa applications this year, as well as on the strong downward trend in recent years, is that Romania has fallen below the 3 percent refusal rate,” Muraru said.

According to the ambassador, „the first Romanians will be able to travel visa-free to the United States, probably in the first part of next year”.

„Visa-free travel to America is not just a privileged status granted to a country. There will be important benefits for us. By traveling more easily, Romanians will build more bridges and be able to boost trade or investment. We also expect to have more direct flights between Romania and America soon,” the Romanian diplomat added.

„The alliance with the United States will never be perfect, but generation after generation has shown that our friendship can always be perfect,” he added.

AGERPRES