Ukraine's government approves bill on biometric passports

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has approved a bill on the introduction of biometric passports for traveling abroad, which will contain forefinger prints, Ukrainian Justice Minister Oleksandr Lavrynovych has said. "This bill [on the identification documents that confirm the citizenship of Ukraine and give the right to exit and enter Ukraine] has been approved by the government, and on Wednesday it will be sent to parliament," he told reporters in Kyiv on Wednesday, February 15.

According to Lavrynovych, the document stipulates that foreign passports have to contain the citizen's photograph, signature and the prints of two fingers.

The minister added that the fingerprints will be used in foreign passports only, and this does not refer to other documents.

As reported, in October 2011 Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych vetoed the law on identification documents that confirm the citizenship of Ukraine and returned it with proposals to the Verkhovna Rada.

Ukrainian Premier Mykola Azarov in early November stated that the government was working on a new bill on biometric passports.

In turn, the leader of the Regions Party faction in the parliament, Oleksandr Yefremov, said that if the profile committee finds a compromise on the bill on biometric passports, which had been vetoed by the president, a new version of the document would be drawn up.