European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, Dimitris Avramopoulos attends the Conference on the Prevention of Violent Extremism at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, April 8, 2016. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos said he hoped that visa requirements for Ukrainians could be lifted “very, very soon” following Wednesday’s legislative proposal by the EU executive.

The proposal to allow short-term tourist and business travel for Ukrainians holding biometric passports had been expected and now requires endorsement by EU member states and the European Parliament.

In the face of concerns about migration, the Commission stressed that the measure did not give Ukrainians the right to live or work in the bloc.