Arseniy Yatsenyuk in Kharkiv region: The Wall project means construction of the first line of defense and a mandatory condition of the visa-free regime with the EU
On Wednesday, October 15, Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk
checked progress in the construction of the engineering facilities at the
Ukrainian-Russian state border in the Kharkiv region in the framework of the
Wall project.
The Head of Government visited the line of the state border near the Hoptivka international motor checkpoint. On this section there have
been completed top priority works in the framework of the Wall project.
Arseniy Yatsenyuk drove a "Cougar" APC with acting chairman of
the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine Viktor Nazarenko
along the state border line to the tower of the observation post, talked to the
borderguards and climbed the tower.
Moreover, he got familiarized with the equipment that was provided to Ukraine
in the framework of technical assistance to ensure the development of the
Ukrainian-Russian state border.
In an interview Arseniy Yatsenyuk noted that throughout the 20 years of
Ukraine's independence we actually had no border with the Russian Federation,
"the Government has launched the Wall project, you can call it a European
Rampart – it means construction of the facilities in the eastern border of the
European Union.
The project, the Head of Government stressed, is designed to stop illegal
immigration, to prevent infiltration of subversive groups, smuggling,
transportation of weapons and radioactive materials, "And the main thing
is none will introduce a free visa regime with the European Union unless we
have a border. If there is no border, the question of Ukraine's membership in
the North Atlantic Alliance is also impossible to settle”.
He stressed that this is the first line of defence: "the development
of the state border envisages construction of the first line of defensive
facilities. It performs a military function as well. In order
to deter the aggression of the enemy. Of course, after the first line of
defense there should be the regular troops and the
army".
Arseniy Yatsenyuk noted that, overall amount of international projects of
financial assistance realized in Ukraine for the development of the state
border makes up 15. The total funding is UAH 500 million, "the total
funding from the European Union makes up UAH 235 million".
The Head of Government informed that no copeck
had been spent out of this sum. The budget funds allotted to the State Border
Service have been spent in the amount of UAH 7 million.
"The goal is to get maximum help from our international donors. It
won’t be sufficient and will need additional funding from the state budget. But
what do we finance? We finance our state border, our defensive capacity,
businesses and jobs," said the PM.
Arseniy Yatsenyuk said that a public tender had been announced in order
"on the one hand, to build a border, on the other - to attract Ukrainian
enterprises to the construction and manufacturing of fortifications, and the
third - to provide the Ukrainians with jobs".
According to him, to participate in the implementation of the project the
Wall or the European rampart there applied over 1145 citizens.
Answering a journalist's question, the Prime Minister explained that
while elaboration of the project we have studied the relevant international
experience. To implement this project the Ministry of Infrastructure will set
up a particular Department for the development of the state border, "the
overall coordination will be carried by the State Border Guard Service. The
engineering institutions will take an active part in further design activities.
"The Government considers it a key task: an actual state border,
erection of fortifications, involving enterprises, jobs for Ukrainians. As this
is the pledge of a free visa regime, the key to how to stop the saboteurs of
the aggressor and to give a chance also for the Ukrainian Armed Forces to gain the
first line of defence against an aggressor that is the Russian
Federation", said Arseniy Yatsenyuk.