Ukraine and Israel

Ukraine and Israel bilaterally abolished the visa regime
The Israeli government unanimously abolished visas for citizens of Ukraine. The prime minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu approved the decision.
On Sunday the Israeli government voted for the entry into force of visa-free regime with the state of Eastern Europe Ukraine.Vote on the matter should have been last week, but this procedure had to be postponed because the Israeli Interior Minister Eli Yishai, was ill and unable to attend a meeting of the government.
According to the press service of the party Yisrael Beiteinu, a proposal for the abolition of visa regime with Ukraine Foreign Minister and made Minister of Tourism of Israel.
Speaking to the Government, the head of tourism department once again have reason, according to which the abolition of entry visas, in his opinion, is a necessity.For several years, he entrusted the ministry carries out extensive work aimed at bringing Israel into Ukrainian tourists, but the process of obtaining visas for entry into this country for the people of Ukraine takes a long time and of itself is very uncomfortable and thunderozdkim. This in turn greatly reduces the potential of Israel as a tourist country.
However, officials from the Ministry of Justice and the Interior Ministry proposal to abolish the visa regime does not support it, because they believe that this step can affect the crime situation in the country.According to Interior Minister Eli Yishai, Ukraine thriving trade in human beings, therefore, the abolition of visas to significantly complicate the local police to combat prostitution.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is convinced that the abolition of the visa regime in the country will attract half a million tourists.
Representatives of diplomatic missions of Ukraine and Israel voiced several versions about the timing, which can occur in signing a joint agreement on visa-free regime. Nearest named date - mid-July. According to another version, this can happen in September.
Visit UkrainianForeign Minister Konstantin Grishchenko to sign an agreement to abolish visa regime should take place either the 11th or 12th of July, but the final terms according to the representative Pinhas Avivi Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall decide by a vote of the Ukrainian government on this issue,scheduled for June 23.

June 20 initiative of the Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Foreign Affairs was finally approved by the Government of Israel. The next day the head of diplomatic missions of the countries concerned have agreed on the phone about his arrival in Israel Konstantin Grishenko, without agreeing on specific dates.

However, the head of the Ministry of Tourism Stas Misezhnikov June 11 said that after the decision by the Israeli government before signing a final agreement between the two countries will be held at least two weeks.Given the subsequent three months, "procedural" term visa-free regime should come into effect until mid-October.

Oleg Voloshin, representing the Department of Information Policy Ministry of Ukraine, in turn, reported that the specific date of his visit to Israel Konstantin Grishenko is under discussion. Foreign interest to the Ukrainian government has adopted this convention, but its text has not been approvedour side. After the consent of the Cabinet will be known and the specific date of the visit, which, of course, needed.The fastest way is to happen in September, but it can be, despite the busy schedule of visits, the Foreign Minister will travel to Israel in mid-July, as soon as a mandate to sign on the cabinet.

Voloshin also noted that the Ministry of Justice, after viewing the bilateral agreement will have more to register the document. Only after the final completion of all internal procedures will exchange notes.In accordance with Ukrainian legislation, the Supreme Council approve this agreement is not required.

According to Voloshin, the introduction of visa-free regime with Israel is some "unrest" among representatives of the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine, as it risks losing the visa fee in the amount of 1.8 milliondollars per year.
Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych called for the abolition of entry visas to the "European" state of Israel.
Ukrainian journalists have focused on the clause of the president.In media interviews on the abolition of visas it promised to ratify the agreement, called it the first sign of European countries. Journalists have reacted to this statement, the publication of data on the geographical location of Israel, which is actually located in the southwestern part of Asia.
According to Deputy Director General Pinhas Avivi Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, head of the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Konstantin Grishchenko is expected to arrive in Israel to sign a bilateral agreement to abolish visa regime, the 11th or 12th of July. This will be the main purpose of his trip.June 21 the parties agreed to a meeting by telephone, without identifying specific dates. Earlier, the Israeli government finally approved the proposal of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Tourism that the visa regime between Ukraine and their government should be abolished.
July 11 signed a bilateral agreement exempting visas.
July 11 in the city of Jerusalem, the foreign ministers of Ukraine and Israel signed an agreement abolishing the visa regime for citizens of these two states.

As you know, on June 20 at a meeting of the Israeli government supported the initiative to abolish the visa regime with Ukraine, but for 21 June, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country discussed by telephone with Konstantin Grishenko next steps regarding the conclusion of a visa-free regime.As a result of this conversation, Avigdor Lieberman, has invited his counterparts from Ukraine to visit Israel in order to settle this issue.

The Israeli press in his commentary called the Agreement on the Abolition of visas for Ukrainian citizensachievement of the party "Israel Our Home," but Lieberman said that the victory belongs to the whole country, because this agreement will greatly benefit the State of Israel politically and economically.
July 21, 2010.On the last Wednesday in the city of Jerusalem meeting between Israeli Foreign Minister and his Ukrainian counterpart, was signing an agreement abolishing visas for citizens of both countries. This agreement must be ratified by the parliaments of Ukraine and IsraelThat is likely to happen no earlier than the Knesset opens its winter session following the recess. It should be remembered that the medium is the last working day in the Israeli Parliament.

To clarify the press service of the Ministry of Tourism, between the time of ratification by parliaments of the agreement and its entry into force is 90 days. In other words, Ukrainians and Israelis will be able to visit each other without a visa for six months.

Israel Ministry of Tourism said that the agreement will bring the country tens or even hundreds of millions of shekels. It also expects a large influx of Ukrainian tourists, as it happened earlier, after the abolition of entry visas to Russian citizens.