US VISA policy for Slovaks was the main topic of discussion between Slovak Parliamentary Chairman Pavol Hrušovský and Senator George Voinovich (R) from Ohio, the state with the largest Slovak community after Pennsylvania, the TASR news wire wrote.
Hrušovský asked the senator to back a relaxation, or better, the cancellation of the visa regime for Slovaks and other countries in Central Europe.
According to Voinovich, Hrušovský persuaded him to study the visa policy for the Visegrad 4 countries (Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia) carefully.
Voinovich, who was the governor of Ohio and the mayor of
Cleveland before he became a senator, is currently the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs' Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management.
During the meeting, the senator praised Slovakia for what it had achieved in just a few years, from being a pariah to becoming a successful member of NATO and the European Union. According to him, the US considers Slovakia a good ally.
Hrušovský thanked the senator for supporting Slovakia's efforts to join NATO in 2004. He also said that the current visit of the Slovak delegation to the US is linked to the February tour of American President George Bush in Europe, particularly to his visit to Slovakia. The Slovak parliament, therefore, is willing to do everything necessary to ensure the continuation of the Slovak success story.
Compiled by Beata Balogová from press reports
TheSlovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the informationpresented in its Flash News postings.
