BRUSSELS, February 10. /TASS/. The second 600 million euro aid tranche for Ukraine may be allocated in the coming weeks since Ukraine has been carrying out key reforms, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Friday following his meeting with the Ukrainian Prime Minister Vladimir Groisman.
"I have to say, that Ukraine is realizing in the last two or three years reforms of a greater magnitude," Junker said. "This in my eyes is a sufficient condition to disperse the 600 million the Ukrainians are waiting for. This will be done in the next coming weeks."
"We had a very constructive meeting," the European Commission President added. "I know, that diplomats are always saying that they had a constructive meeting when they strongly disagree, but this time we had an exchange of views which was a very consensual one," he said.
According to Junker, the situation in eastern Ukraine, reforms that are underway in the country and the visa waiver plan were discussed at the meeting.
Visa liberalization for Ukraine will take effect before summer
The visa liberalization for Ukraine will take effect before summer, according to Juncker.
"I forgot to tell you that of course we were discussing the issue of visa liberalization. This will happen before summer," he said.
On December 18, 2015, the European Commission said that the European Union should grant visa-free travel to citizens of Ukraine, Georgia, and Kosovo. However, it was announced that the implementation of visa-free travel for Ukrainians coming to the European Union could only take place once the bloc beefs up its mechanism to suspend visa-free agreements.
The mechanism is expected to be put into operation in the coming March. The EU agencies have agreed that after that visa-free travel for Georgia would be introduced but no decision on Ukraine has been made yet.
The plan stipulates visa-free travel for 90 days in any 180-day period, however, it does not envisage that visitors will have the right to work or study in the European Union.