EU commissioners and officials before traveling to the USA for meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank will apply security procedures such as for visits to China or Ukraine, “the Financial Times said.
Four sources wanting to maintain anonymity informed “FT” that EU commissioners and high -ranking officials traveling to meetings of the International Monetary Fund and International Bank to USA They will have to act according to the same safety rules as during trips to Ukraine and China.
For fear of Russian and Chinese intelligence services, ordinary communication tools used by EU employees are advised against. EU Officials are to use phones for prepaid cards and special computers with limited access to external networks.
After the adoption of power in Washington by the administration Donald Trump Voltage in transatlantic relationships is growing.
The EC has changed the safety recommendations
Disputes concern, among others Trade, which in the face of Trump imposed on the EU Customs Conditions is the main topic of the EU Commissioner's visit to Marosz Gierczowicz. He will meet on Monday in Washington with the US minister for trade Howard Lutnick.
In addition, two commissioners – for economy and performance as well as implementation and simplification, Valdis Dombrovskis, and for international cooperation, Jozef Sikela – and finance commissioner Maria Luis Albuquerque will go on April 21-26 to meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank also in Washington.
Asked by the “FT” daily European Commission She confirmed that security recommendations have recently been changed, but did not provide details. She added that the European Service of External Action worked on these changes.
According to new recommendations, all officials traveling to the United States should turn off their phones on the border and place in special pockets protecting against infiltration.
As the newspaper reminded, there is a law in the USA that allows the customs services to review the phone and travel computer. There were already cases when tourists and researchers from the Old Continent were turned back at the airport after the services discovered critical comments towards Trump's administration on their devices.
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