Minister of Foreign Affairs met in Brussels with EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos

On May 18, in Brussels, Minister of Foreign Affairs Pavlo Klimkin met with EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos.

The main attention was paid to further progress on the way towards a visa-free regime for Ukrainian citizens. D. Avramopoulos accessed considerable progress achieved by Ukraine in meeting the criteria of the second phase of the Visa Liberalization Action Plan (VLAP), which was reflected in the European Commission Report on the state of its execution, on May 8 this year. He confirmed the readiness of the European Commission to assist the completion by our state of the tasks that still remain to achieve the desired goal - the abolition of visas for Ukrainian citizens. Moreover, the Commissioner also noted the EC's intention to prepare the next report on the implementation by Ukraine of the VLAP before the end of 2015.

In turn, Pavlo Klimkin informed about the specific steps that the Ukrainian side had already made or was planning to make to ensure fast and effective implementation of the recommendations made in the aforesaid Report of the European Commission.

The parties paid peculiar attention to the preparation for the Riga Eastern Partnership summit on May 21-22, 2015. The Ukrainian side noted the importance to reflect in its final Declaration a clear signal regarding the time frame for the introduction of a visa-free regime for the Ukrainian citizens.

The interlocutors supported further development of joint border and customs control between Ukraine and neighbouring EU countries, using the full potential of the amendments to the Schengen Borders Code included in 2013.

During the meeting there was also discussed cooperation in the context of scheduled from June 23 this year the EU Visa Information System coming in effect in Ukraine. It was noted that this step should not in any way affect negatively the speed and efficiency of issuing the Schengen visas for Ukrainian citizens and should facilitate an increase in the number of long-term multiple entry visas issued by the consular offices of EU member states in Ukraine. The interlocutors positively assessed the implementation of the Agreement between Ukraine and the EU on visa facilitation, the implementation of which was discussed during the meeting of the EU-Ukraine Joint Visa Facilitation Committee on 23 April.

Another issue raised was the importance to pursue an EU policy regarding the recognition as illegal the annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by Russia and prolonging in this context non-recognition by the member states of the Russian passports, those issued to the residents of Crimea.

During the meeting, the Minister reiterated an invitation to the Commissioner to pay a visit to Ukraine.