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EU Has No Plans to Open Borders to Ukraine, Georgia Any Time Soon
(c) Sputnik/ Sergey Venyavsky
EUROPE
13:24 22.03.2015(updated 13:29 22.03.2015)
A draft report of the upcoming European Union Eastern Partnership
Summit obtained by Polish Radio shows that EU officials are not
planning to make any offers of a visa-free regime to Ukraine or
Georgia any time soon.
(c) SPUTNIK/ NIKOLAY LAZARENKO
Europe Should Launch Russian-Language Broadcasting Channel - Poroshenko
It was earlier reported that officials in Kiev and Tblisi were hopeful
that a concrete time frame on the establishment of a visa-free
agreement with the EU would be made at the Summit, to be held in Riga,
Latvia May 21-22.
But the draft declaration notes that progress toward visa free
agreements is tied to further reforms, noting only that "Summit
participants reaffirm their support for the mobility agenda
facilitating easier and more frequent travel, business and people to
people contacts...They look forward to the completion by Ukraine and
Georgia of the implementation of the 2nd phase of their Visa
Liberalization Actions Plans once all required reforms are implemented
and all benchmarks are fulfilled."
Commenting on the draft, dated March 11, Polish Radio notes that
"nothing is said in the Declaration about the prospects for European
integration of these countries. Discussion centers only on the
European choice of Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova." The broadcaster
concludes that while "changes can still be made to the declaration, it
is unlikely."
(c) SPUTNIK/ MIKHAIL MARKIV
Kiev's Sopranos: Oligarchs at War Over Control of Major Oil Company
Late last year, the Ukrainian government had begun issuing passports
with biometric data of Ukrainian citizens, in the hopes that the
country would soon be granted visa-free travel regime with the EU.
Ukrainian President Poroshenko commented on the new passports, stating
that "this is the last step which the EU is waiting for from Ukraine
to grant us a visa-free regime."
It was reported earlier this year that despite the current Ukrainian
government's European orientation, growing numbers of Ukrainians
seeking to travel to Schengen countries have seen their visas
annulled.
Along with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Moldova, Ukraine and
Georgia are participants in the EU's Eastern Partnership project, an
initiative aimed at improving cooperation between the European
economic and political bloc and the European and Caucasian states of
the former Soviet Union.
The Maidan protests, engulfing Ukraine in late 2013 and ultimately
leading to the overthrow of the Yanukovych-Azarov government, were
based largely on Yanukovych's decision not to sign an Association
Agreement with the EU. Many leaders and supporters of the European
integration project were optimistic that a government with a pro-EU
orientation would soon lead to improved quality of life, along with
visa-free travel to EU countries for Ukrainian citizens.
The draft text of the Summit Declaration can be found here.
http://www.radiopolsha.pl/6/137/Artykul/201068,%D0%92-%D0%BC%D0%B0%D0%B5-%D0%95%D0%A1-%D0%BD%D0%B5-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B6%D0%B8%D 1%82-%D0%93%D1%80%D1%83%D0%B7%D0%B8%D0%B8-%D0%B8-%D0%A3%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B5-%D0%BF%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%BD-%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%8B-%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%BE-%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B6%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%B0
http://sputniknews.com/europe/20150322/1019845901.html#ixzz3V6skKV00
From: Baghdasarian
(c) Sputnik/ Sergey Venyavsky
EUROPE
13:24 22.03.2015(updated 13:29 22.03.2015)
A draft report of the upcoming European Union Eastern Partnership
Summit obtained by Polish Radio shows that EU officials are not
planning to make any offers of a visa-free regime to Ukraine or
Georgia any time soon.
(c) SPUTNIK/ NIKOLAY LAZARENKO
Europe Should Launch Russian-Language Broadcasting Channel - Poroshenko
It was earlier reported that officials in Kiev and Tblisi were hopeful
that a concrete time frame on the establishment of a visa-free
agreement with the EU would be made at the Summit, to be held in Riga,
Latvia May 21-22.
But the draft declaration notes that progress toward visa free
agreements is tied to further reforms, noting only that "Summit
participants reaffirm their support for the mobility agenda
facilitating easier and more frequent travel, business and people to
people contacts...They look forward to the completion by Ukraine and
Georgia of the implementation of the 2nd phase of their Visa
Liberalization Actions Plans once all required reforms are implemented
and all benchmarks are fulfilled."
Commenting on the draft, dated March 11, Polish Radio notes that
"nothing is said in the Declaration about the prospects for European
integration of these countries. Discussion centers only on the
European choice of Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova." The broadcaster
concludes that while "changes can still be made to the declaration, it
is unlikely."
(c) SPUTNIK/ MIKHAIL MARKIV
Kiev's Sopranos: Oligarchs at War Over Control of Major Oil Company
Late last year, the Ukrainian government had begun issuing passports
with biometric data of Ukrainian citizens, in the hopes that the
country would soon be granted visa-free travel regime with the EU.
Ukrainian President Poroshenko commented on the new passports, stating
that "this is the last step which the EU is waiting for from Ukraine
to grant us a visa-free regime."
It was reported earlier this year that despite the current Ukrainian
government's European orientation, growing numbers of Ukrainians
seeking to travel to Schengen countries have seen their visas
annulled.
Along with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Moldova, Ukraine and
Georgia are participants in the EU's Eastern Partnership project, an
initiative aimed at improving cooperation between the European
economic and political bloc and the European and Caucasian states of
the former Soviet Union.
The Maidan protests, engulfing Ukraine in late 2013 and ultimately
leading to the overthrow of the Yanukovych-Azarov government, were
based largely on Yanukovych's decision not to sign an Association
Agreement with the EU. Many leaders and supporters of the European
integration project were optimistic that a government with a pro-EU
orientation would soon lead to improved quality of life, along with
visa-free travel to EU countries for Ukrainian citizens.
The draft text of the Summit Declaration can be found here.
http://www.radiopolsha.pl/6/137/Artykul/201068,%D0%92-%D0%BC%D0%B0%D0%B5-%D0%95%D0%A1-%D0%BD%D0%B5-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B6%D0%B8%D 1%82-%D0%93%D1%80%D1%83%D0%B7%D0%B8%D0%B8-%D0%B8-%D0%A3%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B5-%D0%BF%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%BD-%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%8B-%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%BE-%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B6%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%B0
http://sputniknews.com/europe/20150322/1019845901.html#ixzz3V6skKV00
From: Baghdasarian