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EU signs regulation on visa liberalization with Ukraine

The signing ceremony was attended by Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko

European parliament in Brussels, Belgium EPA/OLIVIER HOSLET

European parliament in Brussels, Belgium

© EPA/OLIVIER HOSLET

PARIS, May 17. /TASS/. The regulation on the EU visa liberalization for Ukrainian citizens has been signed in Strasbourg on Wednesday.

Official signature of #Ukraine visa waiver pic.twitter.com/ghaGf2KNW3
— LIBE Committee Press (@EP_Justice) 17 May 2017

European Parliament President Antonio Tajani and Joseph Muscat, Prime Minister of Malta, the current chair of the European Union, signed the document.

The signing ceremony was attended by Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko.The regulation will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union and will come into force 20 days after that.

Visa waiver

On April 6, the European Parliament upheld the decision to grant visa-free travel to Ukrainian citizens, while on May 11, the Council of the European Union adopted a regulation on visa liberalization.

#Ukraine: Council adopts visa free travel for Ukrainian citizenshttps://t.co/IeG2Y1nwU8 #EU2017MT pic.twitter.com/Q0s9Vxg4su
— EU Council Press (@EUCouncilPress) 11 May 2017

The Council pointed out that the visa liberalization envisaged Ukrainians’ right to make tourist trips to the EU countries for a period of stay of 90 days in any 180-day period, but gave them no right to employment or studies. Besides, the EU visa waiver does not apply to Ireland and the United Kingdom. This means that Ukrainians will still have to obtain visas to visit these countries.

Meanwhile, the European Union plans to set up a preliminary electronic registration system for countries that have been granted visa-free travel. Before travelling to the EU, citizens of these countries will have to register paying a fee of five euros. At the same time, border officers in the EU countries will have the right to check if they have enough money on them to be travelling to the EU, as well as a medical insurance, return tickets and papers to prove their accommodation reservation.

Besides, the European Union has drawn up a mechanism to suspend visa-free agreements that will be used in case foreign citizens violate visa-free travel rules.

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