Germany not against Czech-US visa free relations

Germany is not opposed to the idea of Czechs having visa-free relations with the United States, the German Minister for Europe Guenter Gloser said in Prague on Tuesday after talks with the Czech Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs Alexander Vondra. Mr. Gloser was at pains to clear up a misunderstanding between the two countries after the Czech daily Mlada Fronta Dnes wrote that the German ambassador to Washington Klaus Scharioth had sought to complicate the Czech Republic's efforts to be included in the US visa waiver programme. This was allegedly a misunderstanding that arose after Germany, as the EU president, sent Washington a letter on behalf of all the EU newcomers stating their reservations with regard to the US visa legislation and forgot to include the Czech Republic. The Czech Foreign Ministry officially protested against this but the mistake was later clarified.