President Viktor Yushchenko signed decrees to
introduce visa-free regime for citizens of the EU, Switzerland, Liechtenstein
and Canada on Thursday, the presidential press service informed.
According to the decree, the citizens of the said
countries may enjoy the visa-free regime in Ukraine or transiting via Ukraine's
territory, if their stay in Ukraine doesn't exceed 90 days. The non-visa regime
for EU, Switzerland and Liechtenstein will be introduced on September 1, 2005,
while Canadian and Japanese citizens may enjoy the visa-free regime since
August 1, 2005, already.
The President has already introduced the visa-free
regime with the USA since July 1.
Under the decree, such a move is aimed at promoting
free movement of persons, goods, services and capital and stepping up bipartite
contacts with the said countries.
According to the Foreign Ministry, over two months of
the visa-free regime with the EU and Switzerland, which was introduced earlier
in connection with holding the Eurovision Song Contest, the number of these
countries' citizens traveling to Ukraine increased 2.3fold, which could bring
the budget additionally 230 M. USD.
