Romanian president urges US drop travel visa rules

By Amanda Beck

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Romanian President Traian Basescu
pressed President George W. Bush on Thursday to drop visa
requirements for the fast-increasing number of Romanian
citizens traveling to the United States.

“Romanians don’t look at the United States (as) a place to
immigrate illegally,” Basescu told reporters after meeting with
Bush in the Oval Office.

Since 2003, the number of Romanian professionals traveling
to the United States has tripled. Basescu said it was
burdensome for students and business people to file visa
paperwork three months in advance.

The citizens of 27 mostly Western European nations are part
of a waiver program that allows them to enter and stay in the
United States for up to 90 days without a visa.

Romania is one of more than a dozen countries that have
expressed interest in joining the program and whose travel
restrictions are being gradually eased.

Bush was noncommittal about a time frame for changing the
requirements, which stem from the communist era, when citizens
from those countries overstayed their visas more frequently.

“We want to work together on a road map to make sure the
visa policy will work, and that’s where we are with Romania as
well as other countries,” Bush said.

At the meeting, Basescu underscored his support for the
U.S. mission in Iraq, where Romania has 890 troops.

The leaders also agreed that separatists in neighboring
Moldova should not be allowed to secede from the country.

“We support the territorial integrity of Moldova,” Bush
said.