OREANDA-NEWS. June 09, 2010. Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Borys Kolesnikov predicts that Ukraine will join the European program "Open Skies" in 2011. Boris Kolesnikov said that during the International Forum of airports and air carriers Routes CIS held in Kharkiv within the framework of "The World Route Development Forum".

"I don’t see obstacles for Ukraine to receive a status of "Open Skies" next year", outlined Vice Prime Minister.

According to him, the Government and Ukraviatsiya are actively negotiating with the EU all items of the program to remove all discriminatory provisions in work of Ukrainian airline companies. "The Government and Ukraviatsiya are actively working at the program "Open Skies". We have to make only several steps", stressed Borys Kolesnikov.

The Vice Prime Minister reminded that the Ukrainian side also is actively negotiating on the abolition of visa regime for Ukraine. "Negotiations are progressing. If all goes well, than from 1 January 2012, may be, we will have visa-free regime for the citizens of Ukraine. It is very important for carriers", outlined Boris Kolesnikov.

However, the Vice Prime Minister said about the need to resolve the issues of pricing for air transportation. According to him, monopolization of air market, which we can see in Ukraine, led to unreasonably high cost of tickets for air transportation. As Boris Kolesnikov stressed, air carriers mustn’t forget that only a mass passenger can give impetus to the development of domestic airlines and airports.