Ukraine to resolve 'open sky' issues at level of bilateral agreements - minister
KYIV. July 29 (Interfax) - Ukrainian Minister of Infrastructure Andriy Pyvovarsky has ordered the Ukrainian State Aviation Service to enhance work on liberalizing air traffic with other countries, in particular with the European Union.
"Today I have set the task to the State Aviation Service to open sky between Ukraine and other states at the level of bilateral agreements. We are doing everything possible so that the agreement on the joint air space with the EU is signed as soon as possible. However, despite our pressure, I understand that the dispute around Gibraltar is the problem, the solution to which does not depend on us," the minister posted on Facebook.
Ukraine and the UN have been holding talks on joint air space since 2006. In November 2013 the parties initialed the agreement, however the signing has been delayed due to the territorial dispute between the UK and Spain over Gibraltar.
According to Pyvovarsky, about 70 bilateral agreements on air traffic currently exist between Ukraine and other countries. Eleven of them do not contain any restrictions on number of carriers, flights or destination points, while the rest have such restrictions.
"The State Aviation Service will propose that the countries lift restrictions bilaterally. I am asking the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry and [Foreign Minister] Pavlo Klimkin to join this process. We will need the support of Ukrainian ambassadors abroad. The task is to restore competition. And this will happen with maximum market liberalization," the Ukrainian minister said.