During Topolanek's recent visit to Washington, the Czech Republic and the United Two detained Americans leave for United States ...
Controversial points omitted from U.S.
visas memorandum- Czech PM ...
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Czech President, PM to have New Year's lunch without wives ... States signed a memorandum of understanding that will enable the Czech Republic to join the U.S. visa waiver programme probably this autumn. Brussels has criticised this step, saying that the bilateral agreement would complicate the efforts to find a joint EU position in the talks on visas with the United States. However, a similar bilateral document has already been signed by Estonia and Latvia, while other new EU countries, including Slovakia, are planning to do so. Though it seems that the U.S. visa issue might complicate the talks of the EU heads of state and government in Brussels, this topic was almost not touched upon during the first day of the EU summit on Thursday. "It was not negotiated at all. This is a success of Czech diplomacy," said Topolanek. He added that the EC under pressure eventually withdrew all of its objections and admitted the possibility of bilateral talks of individual EU members with the United States, along with EU-U.S. talks. Topolanek said the whole matter stirred up certain "animosity," which was rather caused by the question whether the EC would recognise the Czech step legitimate, which happened in the end, in his opinion. "I consider it a great victory. The fact that other countries follow us only confirms that we have chosen the right path," Topolanek (Civic Democrats, ODS) said. Vondra (ODS), deputy PM for European affairs, also recalled that in the past few days the member states agreed on a joint position that would guarantee them an option of bilateral talks with the United States within a certain framework. However, the EC then proposed a mandate for the talks with the United States on behalf of the whole of the EU. Vondra added that the EC thereby again attempted to tie the Czech Republic's hands. Nevertheless, the Czechs have succeeded in winning enough allies to be able to block this proposal if necessary, he added.
(Ceske Noviny)
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