During the conversation with Lithuania’s Ambassador, the U.S. President expressed once again his satisfaction concerning the bilateral Lithuanian-U.S. relations that are especially successful and informed that Lithuania fully complied with the requirements for the countries of the U.S. Visa Waiver Program.

With the help of joint U.S. and Lithuanian efforts, the percentage of rejected visa applications from Lithuania was reduced from 40% in 2005 to less that 10%  in 2007. The latter figure corresponds to the admission requirements, implied by the United States concerning the waiving of visas.

“The Visa Waiver Program is a powerful instrument which strengthens mutual trust and friendship between nations. The people of Lithuania now have a ”window“ wide open to the USA and I am certain that our tourists and businessmen will get to feel the advantages of these changes and will respect them”, Ambassador A.Brūzga said at the meeting.

Using the opportunity, Lithuania‘s Ambassador invited people from the United States to visit Lithuania and to get acquainted with the riches of our country‘s cultural heritage, to develop business projects and to join us in celebrating the millennium of the first mention of Lithuania‘s name in the documents. The celebrations will be held in 2009.

Visa-free travels to the USA will apply to those Lithuanian citizens who travel for tourism, business and other personal purposes. The travellers will have to present biometric passports issued after 28 August 2006. The duration of the visit will have to be no longer than 90 days.

Lithuanian citizens travelling to the USA will have to use the Electronic System for Travel Authorization.

As of November this year U.S. visa requirements will be removed for travellers from 7 out of 13 countries that participate in the Visa Waiver Program – Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, South Korea, Slovakia.