On November 1, Prime Minister Aigars Kalvitis and Minister of Interior Ivars Godmanis met with Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff. The Prime Minister emphasised that an important priority in bilateral relations between Latvia and the US is the equality of rights of Latvia’s residents regarding travel to the USA. He urged the United States not to hesitate in fulfilling the criteria specified for visa reform and in implementing the electronic travel authorization programme and control mechanism by which all passengers travelling outside the USA will be registered. The Prime Minister noted that Latvia causes no immigration threats to the US and it is not reasonable that citizens of all Member States of the European Union (EU) do not possess equal rights for travelling to the USA. Latvia’s institutions are cooperating with U.S. authorities in order to meet the necessary criteria sucessfully and in a short period of time. Next month Latvia will join the Schengen System, whose criteria are similar to the security requirements specified in the relevant U.S. Act. During the discussion the Prime Minister and the Minister of Interior presented Latvia's new passports with their biometric indicators. The sides also exchanged views on how to improve the safety of Latvian ports and borders. This issue is important in the context of illegal immigration and in relation to illegal transportation of weapons of mass destruction and their raw materials. Another important issue is the fight against terrorism. It is essential to pay attention to fight against terrorist funding schemes. The Prime Minister acknowledged current assistance of the USA in these areas and noted that Latvia is interested in more extensive and comprehensive bilateral cooperation. Prime Minister Aigars Kalvitis had met Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff earlier during an August 2005 meeting in Washington.