WASHINGTON - PRESIDENT George W. Bush, trying to eliminate a major source of contention with allied nations, has announced the United States is rescinding visa requirements for citizens of six European countries and South Korea.

Mr Bush said on Friday that Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and South Korea will be added to the US visa waiver program in about a month. All those nations allow US citizens to visit without obtaining visas. He said other countries also are on the path toward getting visa-free treatment.

The US requires that the countries issue tamper-proof biometric passports that are difficult to forge. -- AP