Parliament to pass package of laws to allow Ukrainians go to EU without visas, says Turchynov

Acting Ukrainian President and Speaker of the Ukrainian parliament Oleksandr Turchynov has expressed hope that Ukrainians will be able to travel to the European Union countries without visas in the near term, interfax.com.ua reports.

"A package of laws will be passed soon, which will allow Ukrainians to travel without visas to the European Union in the near term," Turchynov said at a meeting with Slovak Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Miroslav Lajcak in Kyiv on Thursday.

Lajcak said that Slovakia is "ready to support the historic choice of Ukrainians."

"Europe wants to see Ukraine in the family of European countries. We, on our part, are ready to do everything to help you on this way," Lajcak said.

The press secretary of the Ukrainian speaker also said that the sides discussed prospects of energy supply and reverse gas deliveries from Slovakia to Ukraine.

The speaker said that the problem of gas supplies for Ukraine is a very urgent issue.

"Reverse supplies will allow making it for our country in these super-tough conditions of Russia's aggression," Turchynov said.

As it is known, the Ukrainian parliament is to pass only two draft laws linked to the anticorruption sphere to switch to the second (implementation) phase of the action plan on the liberalization of the visa regime with the European Union.