Remarks by the Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk during an open section of the enlarged Government session on September 10, 2014

Yatsenyuk A.P.: Respected Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada! Members of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, mass media representatives!

Today we have an enlarged session of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine with participation of the President of Ukraine, Chairman of the Parliament and heads of regional state administrations.

The agenda of the Government consists of several hot issues, and the top priority number one is defense of the country in the framework of the implementation of the peace plan.

As for the other issues on the agenda, today we will hear a report of the Chairman of the State Border Service regarding the development of the Ukrainian-Russian border. And the next question also concerns defense of the state, is a matter of civil protection of the Ukrainian citizens. Mr. Bochkovsky, Emergency Service, is ready to report and to clearly outline the action plan for civil protection of citizens of Ukraine.

Dear Mr. President, allow me to give You the floor.

Statement by the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko.

Yatsenyuk A.P.: Supporting the President and the Speaker of the Parliament, I would say that we have two aggressors: the first aggressor is the Russian Federation, an external one; the second aggressor - internal include corruption, chaos, irresponsibility, lack of proper organization. Hence, having overcome these two aggressors, we will be able to win. To gain this victory we need unity. No matter how difficult it appears, the unity of all of us, despite the different political preferences, even despite the electoral process, we are talking about the fate of the country, and not about the number of seats in Parliament.

With regard to certain organization issues, allow me to state the position, in particular, concerning military organization. The military system of Ukraine is nothing but post-Soviet Defense Ministry. Without radical changes in the system we can send dozens billions, but all this is in vain.

Therefore, the first objective is modernization of military organization within the country. For this we need not just to receive weapon but also specialists who are capable to change quality logistics of our military organization.

The second, I completely agree with Mister President and Mister Speaker, is the Mannerheim line or the Wall Project, and it means fortifications, that should be built quickly and cost cheap.

The third objective is the national economy. Our economy is currently in the state of war. We can submit dozens of laws to the Parliament, hundreds of normative-legal acts. We have prepared such huge reforms, other smaller reforms. No investor will come to the country, if the country is flooded with the Russian troops, tanks, "Grads", machine guns and saboteurs. Unless we solve the issue of stopping the war, sending Russian troops to the deployment bases - let them protect V. Putin - and regaining control over the border, no reform will be carried out in the territory of Ukraine. As the war is the major factor. The country needs peace and we must do everything to achieve it.

We have several speakers today. From the Defense Ministry Geletey V.V., I absolutely agree we should hear Arsen Borysovych, the National Guard , border guards representative, and the heads of regional administrations regarding what is happening directly in the regions, what are their real problems.

I wish to accentuate, yesterday we had almost the final meeting to consider the preparation of a package of budget reforms and amendments in the tax and budget legislation. As provided by the Constitution, by 15 September the Government of Ukraine will submit to the Parliament a draft law On the State Budget, which clearly determines expenses in billions for the defense, and additional laws that change in the conceptual way the budget and the tax policy in the country. Even despite the fact that the electoral process triggered, and the budget is far from perfect, it is truly not propaganda of a political force, but it is honest and fair. And we're ready to present the budget in the Parliament. I hope that the dissolved Parliament will gather to vote for these bills.

Yatsenyuk A.P.: Dear media people, thank you!