Ukrainian representatives have taken part in the work of the 49th session of the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS), which was held in Medellin, Colombia, on June 26-28. They discussed visa-free travel with OAS states and Ukrainian observers' work at Venezuela's elections, according to Ukraine's Embassy in the United States.

"Ukraine's delegation headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Serhiy Kyslytsya held a number of meetings important for deepening political dialogue between Ukraine and OAS states, including discussion about signing an agreement about visa-free travel with OAS states," the embassy said.

The embassy said the Ukrainian delegation informed the OAS Secretary-General and heads of OAS delegations about the allocation by Ukraine of a voluntary contribution to the budget of the OAS to facilitate the election observation mission in Venezuela.

"The decision was taken by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on the initiative of the Ukrainian Embassy in the United States and is an important step in the development of Ukraine's relations with the OAS states and support of democratic standards in the Latin American region, including the participation of an international observation mission to ensure fair and transparent elections in Venezuela," the embassy said.

During the meetings, the Ukrainian side also handed over to the OAS leadership a letter from Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin "expressing solidarity with the OAS for the promotion of democracy, human rights, and security."

In 2019, the OAS General Assembly gathered 349 participants from 34 OAS member states and 89 members from 42 observer states.

As reported, on June 14, the Cabinet of Ministers ordered Ukraine to make a voluntary contribution to the OAS fund as a permanent observer in order to develop cooperation with the OAS.

According Cabinet of Ministers order No. 415-r on June 12, 2019, Ukraine will contribute $40,000 to the OAS at the expense of the budget program 1401020 (contributions of Ukraine to the budgets of the UN, bodies and specialized agencies of the UN system, other international organizations and convention bodies).