EU could allow Ukraine to switch to second phase of visa regime action plan at Vilnius summit, says Foreign Ministry

The European Union could ensure Ukraine transfers to the second phase of the action plan on visa regime liberalization at the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius in November, deputy director of EU department at the Ukraine's Foreign Ministry Volodymyr Bachynsky has reported.

As Bachynsky said during the hearings of Verkhovna Rada Committee on Human Rights, National Minorities and International Relations on the collection and use of personal data, if the Verkhovna Rada introduces amendments to the law on personal data, it will give Ukraine an opportunity to complete the implementation of the first phase of the action plan on visa regime relaxation and to switch to the second phase.

"The final settlement of this issue at the legislative level… will give Ukraine an opportunity to implement the first phase of the action plan on visa regime relaxation," he said in Kyiv on Wednesday.

He also noted that after this the EU will receive a report, and on the results of consideration of this report the EU will take a decision on the possibility of Ukraine's transfer to the second phase of the action plan.

Bachynsky stressed that the Foreign Ministry has information that "if there is a positive decision on this issue, a decision on Ukraine's switching to the second phase of actions will be taken at the Vilnius Summit in November 2013."

According to him, in such way Ukraine will be able to achieve two positive results at the Vilnius Summit: the signing of Association Agreement between Ukraine and EU, and getting permission to move to the second phase of action plan on visa regime relaxation.