Some Crimea and Donbas residents may obtain biometric passports for visa-free travel to EU – Poroshenko

14:52, 21.12.2015 1 min read

Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko has said that some residents of the occupied Crimea and the area of Donbas which is not controlled by Ukraine's government may obtain biometric passports for visa-free travel to the European Union.

"I don't rule out that some residents of Donbas and Crimea may obtain biometric passports. However, these cases will be considered separately," he said in an interview with Inter TV channel, aired on Sunday evening.

Overall, in the words of Poroshenko, all Ukrainian residents living on the temporary occupied territories will be entitled to guaranteed biometric passports and the right to visa-free travel to the EU as soon as Ukraine's sovereignty over these territories is restored.

"It's an additional impetus for the restoration of Ukrainian authority over Donbas and one of the key elements in the strategy to return Crimea," Poroshenko added.