The European Commission on Monday welcomed a Ukrainian decision to drop a visa requirement for European Union (EU) citizens visiting the ex-Soviet country, but said it was not yet ready to reciprocate.

President Viktor Yushchenko announced at the end of last week that Kiev would introduce a visa-free regime for inhabitants of the 25-country EU "and would like in return comprehension on the part of the EU."

"This is a welcome step taken by the Ukrainian government unilaterally," said Emma Udwin, a spokeswoman for EU external relations commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner.

But she said: "It should not lead you to think that we are changing our policy on our side."

She noted that the EU had agreed to "facilitate" visa arrangements with Ukraine under an agreement to boost relations following Yushchenko's election victory in December over a Russian-backed rival.

But this process was linked specifically to negotiations on a readmission arrangement for Ukrainians found living illegally in EU countries and vice versa, she said.

"We welcome this step but on our side we want to enter into those discussions on visa facilitation linked to parallel discussions on readmission," she said.

Yushchenko said last Friday that if the EU were to allow Ukrainian students, journalists, businessmen and artists in without visas, "that would not constitute a threat for the borders of democracy."

Yushchenko did not say whether visa-free travel to Ukraine, which wants to begin negotiations for EU membership in 2007, would apply to all categories of visitors from the 25-nation bloc.

The EU and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization have pledged to boost ties with the new Ukrainian leadership, but they say it is too early to talk about membership.