Volodymyr Lytvyn: Introduction of a Visa-Free Regime is one of the Key Issues in our Dialogue with the European Union
"Meeting the German colleagues, we will raise the issue of support of
Ukraine´s strivings towards introduction of a visa-free regime by the German
Bundestag",
Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, stated in the
interview to German newspaper "Parlament" on the eve
of the official visit to the Federal Republic of Germany. He stressed that "this
matter is one of the key issues in our dialogue with the European Union." "It is straightly connected with the access to the
democratic values advocated by Ukraine;
however, this access is restricted for no explicable reason.
It is hard to explain such a discriminatory condition to the ordinary Ukrainians,
considering the visa-free regime for the citizens of the European Union,
including Germany",
the Head of the Ukrainian Parliament stated.
He believes that declarations of the European politicians that "Europe is built from the bottom up" are "fair." He also stated that the current visa policy of the EU towards Ukraine "actually contradicts the Lisbon Agreement envisaging building of the civil European society." "I suppose it is not in the interests of Europe or Germany to leave Ukrainian youth and general public beyond the European integration process", V.Lytvyn stressed. He believes it is high time that the issue of visa regime alleviation was no longer discussed in the light of ‘a visa scandal´ of 2005. "Regrettable as it may seem, but my fellow citizens are held hostage to the internal political struggle in Germany, which is acknowledged by German politicians. I suppose that the Bundestag could initiate support of visa regime alleviation for Ukrainian citizens in the framework of the Visa-Free Regime Action Plan", the Head of the Ukrainian Parliament stated. According to him, it would testify to the restoration of equality regarding Ukrainians and actual support of Ukraine as a European State.