Kyiv expects EU soon to complete all procedures for entry into force of amendments to visa facilitation agreement

Ukraine hopes that the European Union will soon complete all of the necessary procedures for the entry into force of amendments to the visa facilitation agreement, Acting Director of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's Information Policy Department Yevhen Perebyinis has said.

"The ratification of the agreement and its entry into force are especially important in the context of the visa-free dialog with the European Union, will contribute to the European aspirations of Ukraine, and will help intensify cooperation between Ukraine and the EU in all spheres of bilateral cooperation," he said at a briefing on Wednesday.

He noted that the Ukrainian parliament had ratified an agreement that was the result of two years of negotiations conducted with the EU by the Foreign Ministry.

"We hope that the EU will soon also complete all of the necessary procedures for the entry into force of the agreement," he said.

Perebyinis also noted that the relevant amendments foresee that the current 14 categories of Ukrainians who are eligible for the simplified registration of Schengen visas, according to the amendments, will be expanded to include nine more categories of Ukrainian citizens.