Ukraine-Eu Agreements On Simplification Of Visa Regime And Readmission Initialed

October 27 Helsinki held initialing of Agreements between Ukraine and the EU on simplification of visa regime and readmission. Ukrainian side for the event was headed by Foreign Affairs Minister Borys Tarasiuk while the European Commission put forward Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner.

Initialing of both Agreements means completion of talks concerning their concluding. The following steps in realization of achieved arrangements will become signing and ratification of Agreements by the parliaments of Ukraine and the EU member-states. The main balance of mentioned agreements for Ukraine appears more profitable as compared to the analogous EU Agreements with other countries.

The Ukrainian side considers that one of principal results of these Agreements proves to be securing of transparency of the process of Shengen visas acquiring by Ukrainian citizens. The draft Agreement on readmission envisages a two-year termination of action of provisions in terms of receiving-transfer of citizens of the third countries and persons without citizenship.

It is fundamentally significant that the European Commission on proposition of Ukrainian side has agreed to add to the text of the Agreement on readmission a declaration of rendering for Ukraine technical and financial assistance for its realization and defining this trend as one of the priority issues in cooperation with Ukraine, while to the draft Agreement on simplification of visa regime – a declaration of Poland, Slovakia and Hungary to embark on talks with Ukraine concerning concluding of Agreements on short-distance transborder trips (meaning free visa travels by residents of border territories within the determined limits).