Parliament committee rejects draft laws breaking readmission and free visa regime agreements with EU

The Ukrainian parliament's European integration committee has not supported two draft laws on breaking EU-Ukraine agreements on readmission and free visa regimes for citizens of EU countries, which was submitted by MP from the Regions Party Hryhoriy Smitiukh. "Of course, the committee couldn't agree with an attempt to break the relations between Ukraine and the EU, and recommended the Verkhovna Rada [reject the law], charging me with delivering this position to the parliament's chairman: The committee doesn't recommend the introduction of these draft laws to the agenda of the session and is against consideration of these draft laws at a plenary sitting, as they contradict Ukraine's course towards the European integration," head of the parliamentary committee Borys Tarasiuk said at a briefing in the parliament on Feb. 11.According to Tarasiuk, the adoption of these draft laws may lead to the EU breaking the agreement on a simplified visa regime for Ukrainian citizens.The MP also added that Viktor Yanukovych, leader of the Regions Party, a member of which submitted these draft laws, said he would support the course towards the European integration if he wins the presidential election."These draft laws undermine the positions of Ukraine and throw into question the sincerity of statements made by presidential candidate Victor Yanukovych," Tarasiuk said.