You're reading: Kozhara: Progress on visa-free regime with EU can be achieved by Euro 2012

Progress on a visa-free regime for Ukrainian citizens for their trips to European Union state members could be achieved as soon as next year, by the time Ukraine hosts the Euro 2012 European Football Championship, according to Leonid Kozhara, the Regions Party's deputy head for issues of international policy.

"The previous year was a successful one in terms of Ukraine’s integration with Europe. And that which Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych promised in his election campaign, in fact, has been fulfilled," the Regions Party press service cited Kozhara as saying on Wednesday.

The MP added that last year Ukraine acquired an action plan on a visa-free regime, and currently it is at the final stage of talks on the creation of an enlarged free trade zone with the EU "that is an integral part of an association agreement."

"If our country manages to realize these two important documents, the agreement on the free trade zone and the action plan on the visa-free regime and, in fact, to receive both the free trade zone and the visa-free regime with the EU, then it will get the same rights as the members of the EU have, [though] without having official membership," Kozhara said.

According to him, the Ukrainian president and government consider the realization of the action plan on the visa-free regime as one of their priorities.

"We understand that this involves a lot of homework for Ukraine, as this action plan includes a whole range of events on bringing a lot of spheres in our state up to the EU standards," the MP said, adding "We’ll be able to do this."

"We expect that progress on the visa-free regime will be made next year, by the [time of] Euro 2012," Kozhara said.