Subject to the national rules on national security of the Member States and subject to the EU rules on visas with limited territorial validity, Ukrainian citizens have the right to travel on the territory of the Member States on an equal footing with citizens of the European Union. The EU-Ukraine Agreement amending the Agreement between the European Community and Ukraine on the facilitation of the issuance of visas, signed in July 2012, simplifies the visa procedure for a number of categories of Ukrainian citizens. Members of NGOs, members of professional and religious organizations who travel to participate in international forums and exchange programs benefit from a free visa. The document facilitates the increase of preferred categories for the issuance of long-term visas for multiple entry. Visa facilitation agreements promote people-to-people contacts between EU citizens and nationals of non-EU countries. The agreements facilitate the issuance of short-stay visas not exceeding 90 days of stay over a period of 180 days. At the EU-Ukraine JLS Ministerial Meeting on 9 June 2010, the parties agreed to enter a fully operational visa dialogue phase on the basis of an action plan setting out all the technical conditions that Ukraine will have to fulfil before the possible establishment of a visa-free regime. Between December 2008 and May 2009, a first round of expert meetings was held on the four blocks of relevant factors identified in the terms of reference for the dialogue: document security, including biometrics; illegal immigration, including readmission; public policy and public security;. . .

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