Official elaborates on prospects for signing EU-Ukraine Open Skies Agreement

Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Vladyslav Kryklii says an agreement on a common aviation area between Ukraine and the European Union, or the EU-Ukraine Open Skies Agreement, may be signed as early as the second half of June. "The preparation for the signing of the agreement on a common aviation area between Ukraine and the EU is underway. Today, both for us and for the European [Union] side, the early conclusion of the agreement is one of the major common tasks. We look forward to signing it in the second half of June," the ministry's press service quoted Kryklii as saying on April 9. Also, the European Commission has approved the updated draft decision of the EU Council on signing the Common Aviation Area Agreement between the European Union and its Member States and Ukraine. The next step is to submit the document to the EU Council for consideration and final approval. According to the minister, the signing of the EU-Ukraine Open Skies Agreement will bring Ukrainian air carriers closer to European counterparts, remove the monopoly on certain routes, established by bilateral agreements, and facilitate the opening of new air services. "By signing the [EU-Ukraine] Open Skies Agreement, we commit ourselves to bring Ukrainian legislation in the field of flight safety, air traffic management, and environmental protection in line with European standards. In the future, both the Ukrainian and European sides will enjoy unlimited commercial rights to domestic flights and international ones, between Ukraine and the EU. Not only will it significantly increase competition in the market, it will also help cut ticket prices," he said. The deal is expected to contribute to a quicker post coronacrisis recovery of air transportation markets and development of domestic routes. Background The European Parliament supported the plans to sign an agreement on a common aviation area between Ukraine and the EU as soon as possible. Head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine, Ambassador Matti Maasikas says Ukraine and the European Union will sign the agreement in the near future. For several years, Kyiv has been negotiating with the European Union on a common aviation space that would allow Ukrainian and European airlines operating freely in the European Union and Ukraine. At the same time, signing the agreement is impossible without resolving the dispute between Great Britain and Spain regarding Gibraltar, while Ukraine is not entitled to independently take any unilateral decisions in this regard. On January 31, 2020, Great Britain withdrew from the European Union, which paved the way for talks on the EU-Ukraine Open Skies Agreement.

Official elaborates on prospects for signing EU-Ukraine Open Skies Agreement

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