30 Jan 2023 09:21

Ukrainian govt adopts resolution to prohibit officials from traveling abroad without good reason

MOSCOW. Jan 30 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian government has adopted a resolution in furtherance of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC)'s decision to temporarily prohibit officials from traveling abroad without good reason, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal said.

"People's deputies, officials, representatives of local authorities, prosecutors, judges and many other persons in authority can cross the state border on an official trip. They may travel abroad for negotiations, medical treatment, or care for minors and children. Yet they cannot go on vacation," the Ukrainian media quoted Shmygal as saying on a social media on Friday.

"There have been an NSDC decision and a respective order of the Ukrainian president, and now there is a respective resolution of the government," Shmygal said.

Ukrainian media said with reference to a government directive dated January 27 that legislators of various levels, government members, other officials, employees granted military duty exemptions by government bodies, other government agencies, or local self-government bodies during a mobilization or martial law, heads of state unitary enterprises, chairpersons and members of the executive bodies of companies in which the state owns a stake of 50% or more, and chairpersons and members of the executive bodies of state companies may travel abroad based on decisions on their official trips.

In exceptional cases, State Border Service officials are authorized to allow women or men belonging to the abovementioned categories who are single parents of a child or children up to 18 years of age to leave Ukraine to visit such children staying abroad or accompany such children on their trips abroad, on the condition that they present documentary evidence.

During martial law, such individuals may also be allowed to leave the country to receive medical treatment upon the presentation of documents entitling them to leave and enter Ukraine and a letter signed by the health minister authorizing a list of individuals agreed upon with a foreign country whom medical establishments abroad can admit for treatment. Such individuals can travel abroad accompanied by one first-degree relative.

In addition, the chief of the State Border Service may allow such individuals to leave Ukraine in case of their first-degree or second-degree relative's death abroad.

The directive stipulates that, during martial law, State Border Service officials shall be authorized to allow military service members to travel abroad based on decisions by the defense minister, the commander of another military organization, the chief of a special law enforcement agency, or the chief of an intelligence agency to perform duties related to the country's security and defense.