Kyiv and Brussels are planning to end talks in less than six months on expanding the list of categories of Ukrainians who will qualify for simplified visa procedures.
The first round of talks on amending the visa facilitation agreement as part of a meeting of the EU-Ukraine Joint Readmission Committee was held in Brussels on Friday.
Director of the Consular Service Department of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Andriy Olefirov told Ukrainian reporters that the talks had gone well.
"The European side has already agreed that visas will be free for the categories of citizens to be included in this agreement. In particular, this concerns representatives of religious organizations, professional organizations and non-governmental organizations. These are three very broad categories," he said.
Olefirov said that the second round of talks would be held no later than July and that between these two rounds the parties had agreed to work in the regime of teleconferences so as not to "lose time and agree on outstanding issues."
"We are not talking about years and not even about six months, but a much shorter time. There is full support from the European Commission," he said.
