The deputies of the European Parliament have supported by a majority of votes granting a visa-free regime to Ukrainian citizens by the European Union, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said.

"A piece of news has just come that there are 521 votes in the European Parliament "for" a visa-free regime with Ukraine. I congratulate all who have done their best to this purpose! And I congratulate you, the Ukrainian people, I congratulate you, Ukraine," he said at the 10th Kyiv Security Forum on Thursday.

At a meeting of the European Parliament on Thursday afternoon, 521 European deputies voted 'for' granting visa-free regime to Ukrainian citizens by the EU, while 75 were 'against' and 36 abstained.

As reported, on February 28 during consultations of EU member states, representatives of the European Parliament and the European Commission, it was agreed to launch visa liberalization for Ukrainian citizens.

The trialogue between the EU Council, the European Commission and the European Parliament on granting a visa-free regime to Ukraine ended on March 1.

The Committee of Permanent Representatives of the Member States of the European Union (COREPER) on March 2 confirmed a decision reached within the framework of the triad.

On March 9, the European Parliament Committee for Civil Liberties, Justice and Internal Affairs (LIBE) approved a draft on including Ukraine into the list of third countries whose citizens are canceled visa requirements.

Thus, the completion of the process of liberalization of the visa regime requires several more procedural points, in particular, the approval by the Council of the EU.

After this, the document must be signed by the president of the European Parliament and the representative of the country presiding in the EU and published in the official journal of the EU.

The decision to introduce a visa-free regime will come into force 20 days after its publication.