The government appeared certain on Wednesday that Cyprus could join the US visa waiver program by the end of 2024 or the beginning of 2025.
Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis said that this goal is totally achievable. He was asked to comment on the President’s statements at the beginning of the Cabinet meeting that we are at the final stage in the issue of entry visas for Cyprus nationals to travel to the US.
Letymbiotis recalled that during the visit of the Foreign Affairs Minister to the US one of the last pending agreements for Cyprus to join the program has been signed and after this agreement we are basically entering the final stage to be added to the program.
He went on to say that the Deputy Minister to the President, who has been appointed since last year as the coordinator of the efforts to enter the program is preparing all the data, which will be handed to the US authorities.
He explained that what is pending is a practical difficulty that exists as a parameter on the part of the US, namely that the rejection rate be less than 3%.
In other words, Letymbiotis said, out of 100 applications made by Cypriot passport holders, less than three must be rejected. He also said that last year we were very close to the goal and we are hopeful that this year we will be able to reach the goal. He added that there is still an agreement to be signed and “we hope that this will be done in the next period.”
The Spokesperson added that once the data are submitted to the American authorities, there will be a period of approximately three months for the US to evaluate whether to accept or reject the rate. Therefore, he said, the target of late 2024 to early 2025 is perfectly achievable.
In another question the Spokesperson said that any country applying to join the program must meet this condition of the rejection rate.
Replying to another question on when the President will meet again with UNSG’s personal envoy Maria Holguin, Letymbiotis said that there is nothing set so far regarding the date of her arrival.
He added that once there is anything new in in relation to either the submission of her report to the UN Secretary-General or to setting a new meeting with the President of the Republic, it will be announced.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results.
The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.
Guterres last January appointed Holguin as his personal envoy for Cyprus, to assume a Good Offices role on his behalf and search for common ground on the way forward in the Cyprus issue.
