U.S. Senators Richard Durbin, the number two Democrat in the U.S. Senate, and Jeanne Shaheen, chair of the Subcommittee on Europe of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, introduced a bill on Wednesday recommending Romania’s inclusion in the Visa Waiver Program, the Romanian Embassy in the United States said in a press release on Thursday, write Agerpres.

The legislative initiative follows a visit the two senators paid to Romania last month, the source said.

Entitled „Romania Visa Waiver Act of 2023,” the draft legislation piece represents an important legislative step that marks the support of the U.S. Senate in the context of Romania’s efforts to become a member state of this programme. The bill sends an important political signal to the U.S. Executive Branch (Department of Homeland Security, which administers the Visa Waiver Program) regarding Romania’s designation as a participating state. At the same time, the Government of Romania is encouraged to intensify its efforts to combat human trafficking and to meet the technical criteria for admission to the program as set forth in the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act.

When introducing the bill on the Senate agenda, the two U.S. senators referred to the important and active role Romania plays within NATO and the European Union, emphasizing the close relationship as a strong ally of the United States. They also appreciated the generous support given to Ukrainian refugees in the context of Russia’s brutal aggression against Ukraine, the Romanian Embassy in Washington said in the press release.

Source: AGERPRES