FX.co ★ EU backs visa-free access for Ukraine

The European Commission said on Friday that it backed visa-free travel for Ukraine and would propose a visa waiver next year for citizens of the ex-Soviet country to travel to European Union member states. Ukraine had fulfilled all the benchmarks of its visa liberalisation action plan.

Commissioner for Migration Dimitris Avramopoulos said that Ukraine managed to cope with the plan and achieved its goal despite a difficult economic situation. Now it is important to keep upholding all the standards.

"The Commission will present in early 2016 legislative proposals to the Council and the European parliament to lift visa requirements for Ukrainian citizens holding a biometric passport," the European Union's executive branch, said in a statement.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said that the visa-free regime with the EU countries can come into force as early as next year. The Ukrainian president finished his speech with the words, “Glory to Ukraine! European Ukraine!”

"When we work together, we always succeed. It is the result of the work of the President of Ukraine, who was in Brussels. It is the result of the work of the Government, and it is the result of the work of the Ukrainian Parliament that despite all the difficulties supported the government's initiative and voted in favour of the necessary laws", Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk said.