KIEV (Sputnik) — In January, a high ranking EU diplomatic source told journalists on condition of anonymity that several members of the European Union were not ready to abolish the visa regime with Ukraine because of Kiev-related corruption concerns.
"Your progress in the fight against corruption will impact the introduction of a visa-free regime with the EU. The same applies to the IMF," Ayrault said during a meeting with the head of the Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) party, Yulia Tymoshenko, in Kiev, as quoted by the party’s press service.
Ukraine has long sought a visa-free regime with the European Union. An EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, establishing a political and economic association between the bloc and the country, was signed in 2014, but it is yet to be ratified by the bloc's member states.
Under the agreement, Ukraine has to adopt a wide range of reforms, including in the fight against corruption, public finance management, decentralization and the energy sector.
