Kiev Hopes for Visa-Free Regime With EU in Second Half of 2016

Pavlo Klimkin has expressed hope that Ukraine would be able to reach a visa-free regime with EU in the second half of 2016.

KIEV (Sputnik) – Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin has expressed hope that Ukraine would be able to reach a final agreement on a visa-free regime with the European Union in the second half of 2016.

"I am certain that the visa-free regime will be achieved next year. We should have our final report on December 15 of this year. It will then be considered by the commission, then it will be considered by the European Council and then the process of technical implementation will be launched. It will last several months," Klimkin said in a Wednesday interview with the Ukrainian 24 TV news channel.

According to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, in August, Ukrainian authorities forwarded a report on the progress of work required for Europe to consider a visa-free regime with Ukraine, in expectation of the arrival of an assessment mission.

Ukraine has long sought a visa-free regime with the European Union. The introduction of a visa-free regime for Ukrainian citizens was stated to be a priority for the new authorities in Kiev, after then-President Viktor Yanukovych was overthrown in February 2014.

According to Klimkin, in order to secure a visa-free regime with the European Union, Ukraine needs to fulfil a number of demands, including the improvement of passport control, before December 15.