Photo from UNIAN
Ukrainian Ministry of Infrastructure expects to sign an agreement with the United States on liberalization of air transportation between the two states next week, which will facilitate airlines' operations and abolish a number of restrictions.
"I hope that next week, I will sign an "open skies" agreement with the United States," Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Andriy Pyvovarsky said at a briefing.
On Monday, July 13, Washington is to host the U.S.-Ukraine Business Forum, where the Ukrainian delegation led by Prime Minister Yatsenyuk is going to meet with the heads of major U.S. companies to prove Ukraine's investment attractiveness. The Infrastructure Ministry will be presented by its chief, Andriy Pyvovarsky, along with his deputy Volodymyr Omelian.
On April 2, Ukrainian Infrastructure Ministry announced the start of the Open Skies regime at Lviv Airport. According to Pyvovarsky, this will allow any airline company to fly to Lviv airport unhindered, provided the permission of the Air Service of Ukraine. The same regime was introduced at the airport of Odesa on June 30.
On June 18, Pyvovarsky expressed confidence that Ukraine would be able to sign the Open Skies agreement with the European Union by the end of 2015. According to the minister, negotiations are underway with the European partners, who are also in talks with Spain and UK to tackle the Gibraltar issue. Currently, signing of the agreement is being considered at the highest political level.
The issue of determining the area has been discussed by the European and the Ukrainian parties since June 2014, while the rest of the agreement was drafted in 2013.
In May, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko authorized Pyvovarsky to sign the agreement on Joint Aviation Area (Open Skies) between Ukraine and the European Union, and its Member States.
Signing of the agreement aims at liberalizing the Ukrainian air transportation market and simplifying operations of European airline companies in Ukraine, and the Ukrainian ones - in Europe. The document will facilitate access of European low-cost companies to the Ukrainian market, as well as the right to Ukrainian and European companies to fly between Ukraine and the EU without interstate route coordination.