Khoroshkovsky: We hope to speed up visa facilitation with EU

Kyiv hopes that all the laws needed for the implementation of the first phase of the action plan on the relaxation of visa requirements by the EU for Ukrainians will be adopted soon, which will bring the country to the second phase of the plan, Ukraine's First Deputy Prime Minister Valeriy Khoroshkovsky has said. 

At a meeting with EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmström in Brussels on Monday Khoroshkovsky told her about Ukraine's progress in the implementation of the action plan, the press service of the Ukrainian first deputy premier reported.

In particular, the deputy premier spoke about the approval on September 6 of the law on the principles of preventing and combating discrimination in Ukraine, which was an important step towards guaranteeing fundamental human rights, and about the passing at first reading of other bills, including those that opened the way for the introduction of biometric passports.

"We're ready for an active dialogue with the European Commission in preparing for second reading certain bills, the adoption of which will allow Ukraine to complete the first phase of the plan of the liberalization of the visa regime by the EU," Khoroshkovsky said.

The two officials also noted the need to finish the procedures so that the amendments to the Ukraine-EU visa facilitation agreement could come into force.