Merkel made a statement about the visa-free regime with Ukraine.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that roughly in September, Brussels will decide on a mechanism to suspend visa-free regime and then will open the way for visa liberalization for Ukraine.
She stated this after talks with the head of the Ukrainian government Volodymyr Groisman, reports the correspondent of UKRINFORM in Germany.
“Working on this right now. I think that before the end of the summer in the European Parliament will be consensus, perhaps a maximum in September. Then the question will again be on the agenda” – said Merkel, commenting on the discussion proposed by France and Germany mechanism.
The Chancellor stressed that the need for the introduction of such a mechanism is not directed against Ukraine, it is a common condition, it is associated with the experience of visa liberalisation with Serbia, when a lot of people after the introduction of such a regime sought political asylum in Germany and other EU countries. “So we said we need a mechanism that we have already, need to step up; it needs to be more effective,” – said Merkel.
With the recent Brexit question of visa liberalization it is not in any way linked.
Volodymyr Groysman thanked for “a very optimistic message” and also expressed the hope that “in 2016, this decision is made, and Ukrainians are absolutely will be able to freely travel around the EU.” He reminded that Ukraine has fulfilled all the necessary conditions for the adoption of a visa-free regime. “No additional requirements to Ukraine should not be, so right now the decision for the EU,” he said.
Groisman also noted that for Ukraine the visa regime – as a relic of the Soviet past, as a bureaucratic wall that separates the country from the great European family” and stated that it is necessary that this wall just broke, and the Ukrainians were quite free in their movement”.
