Greece officially protested in the White House against the decision of President George Bush not to remove US visas for Greek citizens. “It is not a good day today, neither for Greece, nor for Greek Americans. Our country should have been the first on the list to be included in the US Visa Waiver Programme”,  Greek ambassador to Washington Alexandros Mallias told George Bush in person in the presence of State Secretary Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff. The conversation was held prior to the ceremony where the American President announced that six East European countries and South Korea do not need a visa to visit the US.

     According to Greek media Bush wanted an explanation from Chertoff who claimed that Greece had not signed several texts yet. After doing that visas will be removed for Greek citizens, too. Ambassador Mallias denied emphatically and pointed that “the reason is elsewhere and all of us know where exactly it is”. Athens considers the country was left out to be punished for blocking Macedonia’s membership in NATO. Greece is the only country of the old EU members whose citizens still need  US visas.

     The theme was commented by White House spokesman Dana Perino. She said that Greece needs to do some work and after doing it visas will be removed”. To the question “when” she answered , “Till the end of the year.”

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