Kyiv: Ukraine to start negotiations on joining Schengen Area
The Vice-Prime Minister of Ukraine for European Euro-Atlantic Integration, Ivanna Klimpush-Tsintsadze, made an announcement regarding negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the Schengen zone.
"One of the tasks that we set for ourselves is beginning a dialogue regarding the accession of Ukraine to the Schengen zone," Klimpush-Tsintsadze said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
She also stated that it is necessary to negotiate "road maps" on the liberalization of access to Ukrainian services for the EU market and also for their services to Ukraine. Thus, Kyiv and Brussels need to agree on "road maps" for telecommunications, postal, financial services, and sea transport, as well as hold negotiations on access to the digital market.
At the same time, the Vice-Prime Minister does not consider it necessary to negotiate the liberalization of the labor movement and believes that it is important to focus on creating opportunities for the citizens of Ukraine in their homeland.
As of June 11, 2017, citizens of Ukraine can travel without visas using a biometric passport to 26 EU member states, with the exception of Great Britain and Ireland (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Hungary, Germany, Greece, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Finland, France, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Sweden, and Estonia).
In addition, citizens of Ukraine will be able to visit using their biometric passport four other states that are members of the Schengen area, but not a part of the European Union: Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein.
The visa-free policy allows Ukrainian citizens to stay in EU countries for no longer than 90 days during a 180-day period.