Polish PM plays down US visa issue, Poles irked

WARSAW, Aug 4 (Reuters) Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski today brushed off news the United States had dropped visa requirements for Estonians and Czechs but not Poles, some of Washington's closest allies.

Eight ex-communist countries, which joined the European Union in 2004, have long pressed Washington to include their citizens in a visa waiver programme enjoyed by western European states.

The United States currently waives its visa requirements only for foreign travellers from countries that have met benchmarks, including a low rate of people overstaying visas, which Kaczynski emphasised Poles have not achieved.

''Poles are still not coming back from the United States on time and we're all paying for this,'' Kaczynski said.

Poland and the Czech Republic, which sent troops to Iraq and are considering hosting a part of a US missile defence shield. Both have seen visa-free status as one benefit of closer ties with the United States.

''It's not right,'' said Michal Szukala, a 21-year-old history student. ''In view of our allied support of the Untied States, Poles should be treated a bit differently.'' ''It's not fair. If the Czechs are admitted then we should be too,'' said Halina Kozlowska, 40, a supermarket cashier.

Deputy Prime Minister Przemyslaw Gosiewski also played down Poland's exclusion from the visa waiver programme, saying Poles weren't interested in going to the US any longer now they can work legally in many European Union states.

''It doesn't really concern me,'' said Darek Maciejewski, a 22-year-old lorry driver. ''I'm not planning to go there. If I did go abroad it would be to England or Ireland.'' REUTERS KK RAI2022