The coronavirus crisis clearly demonstrated to the citizens of Ukraine that the notorious “visa-free” concept is very conditional.
According to Ukrinform, the results of the recent negotiations that the Ukrainian government delegation held in Brussels with representatives of the European Commission do not promise Ukrainians the speedy opening of European borders. The situation of closed European doors seems to be a long time.
“Today we were talking about the openness of borders, about their phased opening after leaving the coronacrisis. We raised this issue. Both European Commissioner Kyriakides, who is involved in health care, and other colleagues noted that this is a purely technical process. Therefore, we will try to provide all information about the situation with the coronavirus in Ukraine as quickly as possible, and we hope that this will facilitate the early opening of borders, in accordance with the recommendations of the EU, ”said Olga Stefanishina, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, – I will not be optimistic here. No miracle will happen, and we won’t wake up one fine morning with open borders throughout the EU. This is a gradual process. This is a dialogue process not only here in Brussels, but also a dialogue at the bilateral level. We are undergoing powerful diplomatic work. Today we have reached an agreement on a more rapid exchange of statistical data and information. ”
Despite the fact that official Ukrainian data provide a rainbow picture of the pandemic, according to which the mortality rate from coronavirus in Ukraine is the lowest in Europe, European partners know the real cost of such “statistics” and are in no hurry to open their borders to Ukrainian tourists. Which, however, does not prevent them from accepting almost “free” guest workers from the “Nezalezhnaya” small target groups and parties so much needed on agricultural work now.