Visa-Free System With Ukraine: Debate In Israel

MIGnews.com.ua

The initiative of a visa-free system between Ukraine and Israel has led to a dispute within the Israeli government. Members of the ultra-religious party Shas claimed about the doubts, reports Deutsche Welle.

During the last visit to Kyiv in early December, the head of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs Avigdor Lieberman and his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko agreed to intensify bilateral dialogue on the earliest possible canceling of visas for citizens of both states.

Minister of Tourism of Israel Stas Misezhnikov this week triumphantly announced the timetable for the preparation of the signing of the agreement - June 2010. According to the member of the government, working groups have been established already which are working at the technical details of the plan.

The Israeli government had to approve the mandate to start negotiations with Kyiv already at the next meeting. But at the last moment the Minister of Internal Affairs and leader of the ultra-religious party Shas, Eli Yishai asked the government Secretary with a requirement to remove the issue from the list of governmental meeting.

According to the Minister, the topic about the abolition of visas with Ukraine, which may lead to an increase of Ukrainian workers and trafficking, has not been discussed adequately and needs further verification.

However, speakers of the Foreign Ministry reject these arguments, calling them "baseless". They remind that it has been declared about the intent to establish a visa-free system with Ukraine more than a year ago, and a draft action plan was received by all the governmental authorities responsible for implementing this project, Ukrainskaya Pravda reports.