The European Union does not support the idea of issuing old-style passports to residents of the areas of Ukraine occupied by Russia, Head of the European Union Delegation in Ukraine Hugues Mingarelli told European Truth online publication.

During the opening of the cartoon exhibition "Ukraine's Path to Visa-Free Regime with EU" in Kyiv on June 9, Mingarelli emphasized that the visa-free regime should work for all Ukrainians who will receive biometric passports.

In the comments to the publication, the ambassador said he wants to tell the Ukrainian authorities that the visa-free regime applies to all Ukrainians, regardless of where they live.

Some Ukrainian officials suggested that residents of Crimea and certain areas of Luhansk and Donetsk regions could be left without passports necessary for a visa-free regime, which contradicts the approach of the EU, Mingarelli said.

The diplomat stressed that he had already informed the Ukrainian side about this position of the European Union, but did not specify the official Kyiv's reaction.

In May 2017, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said if it is impossible to issue biometric passports to residents of occupied areas of Ukraine, old-style passports should to be issued for them.