Yatsenyuk: Approx. 8 billion hryvni to be invested in European Rampart project
KYIV. Dec 9 (Interfax) - The European Rampart project, which is bound to reinforce the Ukrainian border with Russia, will be implemented in four years and about 8 billion hryvni will be invested in it, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said.
"The total cost of this project is currently estimated at about 8 billion hryvni," he said at a presentation of the government program on Tuesday.
International financial aid, including the one from the IMF and the European Union, will contribute to the project, Yatsenyuk said.
"The European Rampart project, i.e. the construction and equipment of the state border between Ukraine and Russia, will be accomplished. It is planned to fulfill the project within four years," he continued.
A special agency will be set up to supervise the development of border infrastructure and international financial aid is already reaching Ukraine, the prime minister said. "If there is a border there is security, and security is a keynote element of a visa-free travel regime," he said.
Ukraine will start to issue biometric passports in 2015 as part of the plan to liberalize the visa regime with the European Union, Yatsenyuk said. "I am confident that Ukrainian holders of new biometric passports will freely travel to EU member countries without visas," he said.