Boise City Wire

U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Dick Durbin have expressed their approval of the recent decision by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of State to include Romania in the U.S. visa waiver program. This decision follows legislation introduced by the Senators in March 2023, aimed at granting Romania eligibility for this program.

Senator Shaheen, a ranking member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, remarked on Romania's progress over the past three decades since the fall of its communist regime. "In the three decades since the fall of one of the most brutal of Communist regimes, Romania has made remarkable progress establishing a democratic, market-based system and has become a valued partner in NATO and the EU," she stated. She congratulated Romania on this milestone, which aligns with their efforts through the Romania Visa Waiver Act.

Senator Durbin also commented on this development: “Senator Shaheen and I introduced legislation in 2023 with the hopes that Romania would be granted eligibility within the U.S. visa waiver program,” he said. He expressed his satisfaction with DHS and State Department's inclusion of Romania in this initiative, emphasizing Romania's transformation into a significant member of democratic alliances such as NATO and the EU.

In 2023, both senators visited Georgia and Romania to engage with political leaders and civil society representatives about bilateral relations and regional geopolitics, particularly concerning the Black Sea area. During their visit to Romania, they met with Romanian Prime Minister Ciuca and discussed issues related to Russian aggression and democracy challenges in neighboring Moldova.

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