OREANDA-NEWS. Ukraine welcomes the EU Council’s approval of legislative proposals liberalizing the EU visa regime for Ukraine.

This is the last step on the path before formal adoption of visa-free entry to the European Union for our citizens.

We hope the remaining technical procedures, in particular the signing and official publication of the legislation that will open the possibility for Ukrainian citizens to travel visa-free to Europe this summer, will be completed quickly.

The road to this historic decision was not easy, however, it showed that together, the EU and Ukraine can reach ambitious goals, ensuring the improvement of our citizens’ living standards, that every Ukrainian is able to take advantage of visa-free travel to Europe, the removal of artificial barriers between people, and the further development of business relations, as well as cultural and educational exchanges.

It is symbolic that this historic decision was adopted while Ukraine hosts the Eurovision Song Contest and thousands of EU citizens are experiencing the hospitality of the Ukrainian people firsthand.

For Ukraine and its government officials, parliamentarians, and ordinary citizens, this decision is an additional responsibility for diligent compliance with the existing rules for visa-free travel.