Klimkin: Visa-free regime with EU on the cards, no visa for 100 countries

Ukrainian citizens will be able to travel without visas to almost 100 countries following the introduction of a visa-free regime with the European Union (EU), Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said during a speech at the XII Meeting of heads of foreign diplomatic institutions of Ukraine.

"For me it is not the technical process involving travel to the EU without a visa. For me it is the recognition of the affiliation of Ukraine and Ukrainians to the European project, the European tradition and the European way of life. And by the way, following the introduction of a visa-free regime, Ukrainians will be able to travel without visas to almost 100 countries," Klimkin said.

Klimkin also expressed hope that the visa-free regime with the EU would be implemented in the coming months. He noted that his department was working to get the visa-free regime with the EU introduced "in the coming months." As UNIAN reported earlier, on April 20, the European Commission had invited both the European Parliament and the EU Council to discuss the lifting of the visa regime for Ukrainian citizens. 

This proposal was the result of a positive assessment, made last December, of Ukraine's steps under the framework of the Visa Liberalization Action Plan. On July 11, EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Johannes Hahn expressed hope that the visa-free regime issue with Ukraine would be resolved by October.

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