Romania has real chances to find out by the end of this year whether it can re-enter the Visa Waiver program, according to Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emil Hurezeanu. The Romanian official emphasized that most of the criteria required by the American authorities have already been met, and the bilateral dialogue has made significant progress.
„To meet the expectations of the American authorities – the main accession criteria were met last year,” said Hurezeanu, quoted by Mediafax, adding that there were „unexpected turns” in the accession process, but the Romanian side is now well informed about the next steps.
An essential aspect in evaluating Romania's eligibility remains the visa refusal rate. "All those criteria become valid again," the minister confirmed, suggesting that the Romanian authorities will continue efforts to reduce this percentage.
An important series of trilateral consultations is taking place this week between the US Department of Homeland Security, the European Commission, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Romania, signaling an intensification of cooperation to achieve the common objective.
Romania was temporarily included in the Visa Waiver program in January 2025, but was excluded in May, an unusual development that raised diplomatic questions.
Meeting between Nicușor Dan and Donald Trump in The Hague
On the other hand, Emil Hurezeanu confirmed that there is a firm intention to organize a meeting between Nicușor Dan and the President of the United States, Donald Trump, on the occasion of the NATO summit in The Hague, scheduled to take place between June 24 and 26.
Referring to Romania's objectives at the summit, the minister mentioned the importance of validating NATO's medium and long-term strategy, emphasizing the crucial role of the USA in this alliance. Additionally, Hurezeanu reminded that Romania is among the countries with the highest defense budgets, already allocating between 2.3% and 2.4% of GDP for this purpose.
The Hague summit could thus become a key moment both for Romania's future in the Visa Waiver program and for the bilateral relationship between Bucharest and Washington.