You're reading: Kowal urges Brussels to sign supplement to visa facilitation agreement with Ukraine without delay

Brussels – Head of the European Parliament delegation for relations with Ukraine Pawel Kowal has urged the EU Council and the European Commission to take the necessary steps to sign supplements to the visa facilitation agreement with Ukraine without delay.

According to Kowal, the Ukraine-EU Parliamentary Cooperation Committee has repeatedly stressed the particular importance of establishing a visa-free travel between Ukraine and the EU for certain categories of Ukrainians – representatives of NGOs and companies, which is also required in order to establish interpersonal contacts, reads a report of the European Parliament, the text of which is available to Interfax-Ukraine.

“In this context, the recommendations that were approved at the latest meeting of the committee on June 12-13 state that the relaxation of visa requirements for Ukrainian citizens should not depend on the political climate in relations between Ukraine and the EU,” the MEP stressed.

In this regard, Kowal recalled that the agreement between Ukraine and the EU to amend the visa facilitation agreement was initialed on February 16, 2012.

“In the light of recent events, we should expect the agreement to be signed shortly. We urge the Commission and the EU Council to take all necessary steps to conclude the agreement without delay in order to send a strong signal to the Ukrainian people, that despite the political obstacles, the EU is willing to actively support their expectations,” he said.