KIEV, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine and Turkey on Thursday began to allow visa-free travel for holders of electronic national identity cards (IDs), the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.
From now on, citizens of Ukraine and Turkey holding valid electronic IDs could travel through each other's territory without a visa for a stay of 90 days in any 180-day period, the ministry said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian Ambassador to Turkey Andrii Sybiha said on Twitter that the first flight from Kiev carrying Ukrainians, who crossed the Turkish border with ID cards, have already landed in Turkey.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman and his Turkish counterpart Binali Yildirim signed an agreement to mutually adopt a visa-free policy for electronic ID holders in March this year.
The eased visa policy is aimed at promoting the development of bilateral relations between Ukraine and Turkey and facilitating business and humanitarian exchanges between their peoples.
Last year, about 1 million Ukrainians traveled to Turkey, while Ukraine hosted some 200,000 Turkish visitors.
