Providing Ukraine with a visa-free regime is not only a huge step forward in relations with the European Union as well as huge commitments of our country that it must fulfill. This was stated by MP from the OPPOSITION BLOC Serhiy Lovochkin. According to him, the main task is to build Europe in Ukraine.
“The OPPOSITION BLOC welcomes providing visa-free regime to Ukraine. We consider this is a huge step forward in our relations with the EU. Ukraine is really getting closer to the European Union. However, this is also a huge commitment on the part of Ukraine, which it must fulfill. We must build Europe within our country,” Serhiy Lovochkin said.
According to him, several myths have been created in the issue of granting a visa-free regime, which must be dispelled. “The first of which is that the provision of “visa-free” is a merit of the current government. It is not true because the action plan for the liberalization of the visa regime with the EU was granted to Ukraine in late 2010. By October 2013, it was fulfilled by 85%, and this is recognized by our European partners,” the MP said.
He noted that the team of those people who are currently members of the OPPOSITION BLOC took part in the implementation of 85% of the plan for granting visa-free regime. “Therefore, not only in words, but also in business, we made a big contribution to the liberalization of the visa regime with the EU,” Serhiy Lovochkin added.
“The second myth that I would like to caution against is that the Ukrainian government did not turn into a travel agency, which, instead of carrying out reforms and building Europe in Ukraine, will only deal with improving the opportunities for those citizens of our country who can travel to Europe,” the politician said. He stressed that 60% of Ukrainians are now below the poverty line and cannot afford to travel to the EU.
Recall, today the EU Council voted to grant Ukraine a visa-free regime. The approximate date of its introduction is June 11.
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