Pre-registration of Ukrainians wishing to go to Israel doesn't violate visa waiver accord - Israeli Foreign Ministry

KYIV. March 16 (Interfax-Ukraine) - The decision on the preliminary registration of Ukrainian citizens wishing to go to Israel does not violate the visa waiver agreement between the two countries, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said.

"In light of various publications, we would like to clarify that the Minister of Interior's decision on the early registration of Ukrainian citizens seeking to enter Israel does not constitute a violation of the visa waiver agreement between the countries. The existing agreement allows Ukrainian citizens without a visa to arrive in Israel for tourism purposes only," the Foreign Ministry said on Twitter on Wednesday.

The current arrangements, which are in place for a period of only two weeks at this stage, are intended for those who wish to come to Israel for other purposes as well, such as temporary shelter from the fighting in Ukraine, the ministry said. It is routine practice, which exists in many countries around the world even when there is a visa waiver agreement in place.