Ukraine to receive visa-free regime in 2016, - European Commissioner Hahn

Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy & Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn announced that Ukraine has fulfilled conditions required for introducing visa-free regime with the European Union.

He noted in an interview to Radio Svoboda that fulfilling the legislative conditions is the most important prerequisite for further movement of Ukraine along the path of rapprochement with the EU, Censor.NET informs.

Hahn said he was well aware of challenges Ukraine was facing, i.e. the armed conflict, one and a half million of displaced persons, huge economic problems. These were significant challenges for Ukrainian authorities, he said.

European Commissioner stressed that Ukraine had to pass a long way to both adopt the required legislation for the EU Association and fulfill it. Hahn expressed his hopes that citizens of Ukraine, Georgia and Kosovo will be able to travel without visas to the EU in 2016.

A political decision is still required, but in terms of meeting standards those countries have done all that was needed, he said.

According to Johannes Hahn, liberalization of the visa regime for Turkey would not be easier than for Ukraine, Georgia and Kosovo.

He has disproved the statements of Ankara that Turkey will receive liberalization for its aid with holding the flow of migrants to the EU.

The EU treats everyone equally, Hahn said, and uses same methodology towards Ukraine, Georgia, Kosovo, and Turkey.

On April 20 the European Commission has suggested the European Parliament and the European Council to cancel visas for Ukrainian citizens.