KIEV, January 6 (Sputnik) — New European standard license plates will become available in Ukraine on March 31, Deputy Interior Minister Serhiy Chebotar said on Tuesday.
"The new license plates used by countries en route to gaining European Union membership will be introduced in Ukraine starting March 31 of this year," the Ukrainian Interior Ministry press service quoted the official as saying.
Despite experiencing economic difficulties associated with spiraling inflation, their cost will remain at 134 hryvnia (around $8.5).
"From now on, the Ministry of Internal Affairs represented by the State Automobile Inspectorate Department will be the owner of these license plates. Mediation by third-party companies is ruled out," the deputy minister added.
Ukraine resumed its course toward Europe by abandoning its non-aligned status late last month. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called the adoption of this status in 2010 a strategic mistake and vowed to finalize its decision to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) within five to six years.
In May 2009, the European Union introduced its Eastern Partnership initiative aimed at the "approximation towards the European Union" of Ukraine and other countries neighboring Russia.
