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Joint Press Statement Regarding Meeting of
U.S.-Estonian Consular Working Group
May 5, 2005
Tallinn, Estonia
Representatives from the governments of the United States and Estonia gathered in Tallinn on May 5th for the second meeting of the Consular Working Group. The Group's ongoing activities are a direct result of U.S. President George W. Bush's February 24th announcement of a "Visa Roadmap for Central Europe and the Baltics." The group first met on March 31st, and plans to continue with frequent and regular meetings to discuss consular and visa issues.
The May 5th meeting focused specifically on issues related to Estonia's potential participation in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, and on visa issuance rates for Estonian applicants for U.S. visas. Jaanus Kirikmäe, Director General of the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, explained, “Estonian citizens understand how important it is to follow the visa regulations of other countries. It has been very helpful to learn more about the trends involving Estonians' visits to the U.S., and how the Estonian government can further reduce Estonian violations of American visa law. We know that future Estonian opportunities for visa-free travel depend on how our citizens behave today.”
According to U.S. Consul to Estonia Paul Mayer, the American visa workload continues to increase while, at the same time, visa issuance rates for Estonian citizens continue to rise. “April was the 9th consecutive month in which our workload was higher than a year ago, and at this point, more than 7 out of 8 Estonian citizens are being issued visas, usually on the same day they are interviewed. The trend continues to be in the right direction, and Estonian compliance with U.S. visa law is an important component of President Bush's Visa Roadmap.”
The Consular Working Group also discussed Estonian-U.S. cooperation on law enforcement issues, the planned introduction of passports with biometric identifiers, and a proposal for Estonian experts to travel to the U.S. for additional consultation on consular and visa issues. The next Consular Working Group meeting is scheduled for this summer.
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