Zelensky signs into law bills on customs 'visa-free' relationship with the EU

MOSCOW. Aug 31 (Interfax) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed into law bills paving the way for Ukraine's accession to the Convention on the Simplification of Formalities in Trade in Goods and to the Convention on the Common Transit Procedure, according to Ukrainian media.

"I have just signed these documents - on accession to the Convention on the Simplification of Formalities in Trade in Goods and to the Convention on the Common Transit Procedure. They are the actual implementation of the customs visa-free regime. We did it in record time and in a completely coordinated manner by all branches of government," Zelensky said in his video address.

The Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada on August 15 passed Customs Code amendments that enables Ukraine to join the May 20, 1987 Convention on a common transit procedure and to participate in the New Computerized Transit System (NCTS), which allows the signatories to the convention to submit and finalize their transit declarations by electronic means.

On Tuesday, the parliament also ratified a bill on Ukraine's accession to the Convention on the Simplification of Formalities in Trade in Goods.

The convention of May 20, 1987 on a common transit procedure forms the basis for the movement of goods between the EU member states, the four EFTA countries (Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland), Turkey, the Republic of North Macedonia, and Serbia using the NCTS.