Ukraine and the United States signed an Open Skies agreement / Photo from UNIAN
Ukraine signed an agreement on joint aero space (Open Skies) with the United States during Ukraine-US Investment Forum in Washington, D.C., according to the US Embassy in Ukraine.
“This agreement strengthens bilateral economic ties and facilitates the growth of civil aviation between the United States and Ukraine. It is an example of the strong bonds of friendship and cooperation between our two countries," reads the US Embassy statement.
The agreement was signed by US Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Catherine A. Novelli and Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Andriy Pyvovarsky signed an Open Skies agreement today in the Treaty Room at the U.S. Department of State.
As UNIAN reported earlier, on April 2 of this year, the Ministry of Infrastructure has unilaterally introduced an Open Skies regime at the Lviv airport, which allows any air carrier, with the permission of the State Air Service, to fly unhindered to the Lviv airport. Also, such regime was introduced on June 30 at the Odesa airport.
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.