We should not rush neither
the introduction of a visa regime with Russia
nor the transition to trip to Russia with foreign passports. The
Prime Minister of Ukraine Arsenii Yatseniuk said on Thursday night after
arriving to Brussels, where he will participate
in the summit of the European People's Party and the meeting of the European
Council, during which the political part of the Association Agreement between Ukraine
and the EU will be signed.
"We have to score
twice before we cut once" - he said.
Arsenii Yatseniuk said
that Russia has repeatedly
raised the issue on trip with foreign passport and introducing visa regulations
within the CIS: "So, such initiative on the part of Ukraine will hardly be effective in terms of
impact on Russia.
Instead, the problem has an important humanitarian dimension for Ukraine, because many citizens of Ukraine, primarily in the East and South of our
country who are seasonal migrant in Russia or who have relatives across
the border, are interested in preservation of visa free travel."
The Government, as PM
stressed, holds to strategy of taking into account the specific interests of
the inhabitants of the south-eastern regions, so it is natural his cautious
attitude to the issue of the visa regime.
Arsenii Yatseniuk said
that in connection with an official visit to Brussels he left earlier the Security Council
meeting and could not fully present his arguments on these issues. Prime
Minister intends to discuss the issues with the acting Head of State Oleksandr Turchynov immediately
on his return to Kyiv.
