Ukraine, Macedonia to launch visa-free travel

KIEV, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine and Macedonia will soon sign an agreement on visa-free travel regime for citizens of both countries, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said on Wednesday.

"We have agreed at the meetings in Macedonia to soon sign a visa waiver agreement. The text is almost ready," Klimkin wrote on Twitter after his meeting with Macedonian authorities in Skopje.

Since 2011, Ukraine and Macedonia have taken a series of steps to liberalize their travel rules, including the introduction of a temporary visa-free regime for certain periods of time.

Last month, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed a decree, allowing Macedonian citizens to enter Ukraine for a stay of 90 days in any 180-day period till March 15, 2019.

Klimkin arrived in Macedonia earlier in the day for a two-day official visit.

Last year, about 4,800 Macedonian citizens visited Ukraine, up 14.3 percent from 2016, according to official data. Enditem