Opening statement by Prime Minister of Ukraine Arsenii Yatseniuk during the Government's session on March 5, 2014
Respected members of the Cabinet of Ministers, heads of regional state administration
I welcome all of you! It is our first joint session.
Traditions of introduction
when Prime and Deputy Prime Ministers used to spent millions to fly to regions
and introduce heads of administrations, we’ve left in the past. I consider that
we must immediately get down to work.
First of all I’d like
to congratulate all heads of regional state administrations; great
responsibility lies on new Government and on those who bear the responsibility to
the Ukrainians in the regions. Your actions should meet the expectations of
millions people who have been on Maidan, the
expectations of millions of fairness and dignity that we should restore in the
country.
I’d like to start from
general political and economic issues.
There is extraordinary
meeting of heads of states of the EU tomorrow, and I’ve received an invitation
to the meeting. The U.S. Secretary of State announced yesterday on the first package
of economic aid that Ukrainian will receive and I hope that as soon as possible
- today and tomorrow - our European partners will also announce an economic
package of financial assistance to
The situation is very
difficult concerning state finances and those possibilities, which we get due
to economic and financial aid package from
Of course, the Russian
military aggression has both political, security and economic implications. And
unmotivated presence of Russian troops on the
Therefore, once again we
call on the Russian leadership to immediately withdraw troops and perform
bilateral and multilateral agreements.
What’s happening in
Crimea threatens not only the national security of
The Russian leadership
has and will have no grounds for military aggression on the
I recall recent events
in the Parliament concerning the so-called language law. Despite the fact that
this is a particularly sensitive issue for most Ukrainians, but this is an
issue that divides us, and it was absolutely right decision - not to sign the
law “On the Repeal of the Law of Ukraine “On the Principles of State Language
Policy” and leave it in the current version in order the east of Ukraine was
calm. All have spoken in Russian and will continue speak. And there is no
reason to split
Concerning state
administration. The challenges that stand before heads of regional state
administrations - are actually the restoring of the state administration and the
governance.
We’ve got the state
with an empty treasury, totally corrupt system of state authorities, starting
from the top to the bottom, lack of law enforcement and security system,
corrupt courts. And now people will expect fast, accurate changes. And the
heads of regional state administrations have hard, quickly and efficiently set
an order, first of all in the system of state authorities.
I address to all heads
of regional state administrations to urgently propose candidates on the posts
of district state administrations, and on the posts of your deputies. To assign
urgently people, but I stress those people, that then they would not been caught
by prosecutors together with militia for those crimes which the previous officials
have committed. The staff selection is the direct responsibility of the head of
each Regional State Administration. You have two weeks to complete the
formation of the structure of the regional authority.
I would also like to address
to the heads of RSAs asking for smoothly cooperation with
local councils. The task of new Government of Ukraine is the decentralization
of power. And Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr
Groysman will be responsible for rapid reform package
on local governance.
Today we realize that one
of the key elements should be made by new Ukrainian government: it is the
dismantling of the centralized government that was formed in last 4 years.
Rights should be given to the regions. People have elected regional councils,
district councils and these regional and district councils should have adequate
powers.
I ask every head of
the region, first of all, to study the situation in the region quickly: what is
happening with the law enforcement system, what debts for consumed energy recourses,
social payments we have, how taxes are imposed, you should meet with
representatives of small and medium business that was under constant
harassment, cooperate with people, go to the people and listen to people - and
not just listen, but respond to their requests.
The situation in
Despite the great debt
of the autonomy for the consumed energy recourses, we provide energy supplies
to the territory of the autonomy. We provide livelihood of the autonomy,
despite the Russian military aggression in the
Of course, there will
be difficulties this year, because I think that actually there will not be the
holiday season after that, when Russian tanks and Russian soldiers have appeared
on the territory of Ukraine, namely in the Crimea. And if there is not the
holiday season - there will not be additional revenues. And, so, the Government
has to think now, Mr. Shlapak, I ask you, you should
adjust the revenues of the autonomy, we will have to help them and increase the
volume of donations in order to keep the social situation in the Crimea.
Yesterday I spoke to
the Minister of Defense of Ukraine and the Minister of Finance to immediately
prepare draft resolutions on assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. On
behalf of the Government of Ukraine let me express my highest gratitude to the
Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Naval Forces of Ukraine, located in the
Yesterday I ordered
the Minister of Defense of Ukraine and the Minister of Finance to immediately
prepare draft resolutions on assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. On
behalf of the Government of Ukraine let me express my highest gratitude to the
Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Naval Forces of Ukraine located in the
So, we will made decisions
today on additional financial assistance and additional benefits for members of
the Armed Forces of Ukraine. I ask immediately after the adoption of the decision
to finance these expenditures. Despite the fact that the treasury is empty, the
Government of Ukraine will do everything to heroes that they feel that Ukrainian
state honors, respects and cares about them.
Also I’d like to raise
the issue at the selector on preparations for the sowing season. Dear
colleagues, you know that one of the main segments of the Ukrainian economy is agriculture.
We are losing time. I address to every head of RSA, primarily to Mr. Minister Shvaika to hold an emergency meeting with agricultural
producers, exporters and suppliers of fuels and lubricants. The preparation for
sowing campaign is a task number one. This is the issue of food security, the
issue of additional revenues to the state budget and
So, colleagues, we
have no time. We took responsibility - now we have to bear this responsibility
and take immediate, rapid and effective steps to ensure that there will be true
and real changes in
I’d like to introduce all
heads of RSAs the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of
Regional Development Volodymyr Groysman, he will be
responsible for regional policy. The main task, what he is responsible is a
decentralization of power in the country. We promise this and we will carry out
our program.