Opening speech by Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk at a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine of November 5, 2014

Dear participants, media representatives, I welcome everybody!

We are holding a government meeting today. There are a range of issues that the Government should consider today and take appropriate decisions. First, it is important to talk about social and human issue - a change in the procedure for calculation of payments in the case of the death or loss of a breadwinner. That is, our guys who are in the ATO area who are fighting for independence of the country, and in that case if the family lost its breadwinner, we make a decision today – to equate payments for the loss of a breadwinner in the Armed Forces and pull up these payments for law enforcement officers.

The current payment to the family of a killed soldier equals UAH 609,000, to the family of a law enforcement officer - UAH 150,000. Today we make a decision about equal payments – UAH 609,000.

I realize that money cannot help solve a human tragedy, but it is the duty of the state to families, and we take responsibility, what the Ukrainian state is obliged to commit, we increase payments to law enforcement officers from UAH 150,000 to UAH 609,000.

Second. I’d like to brief about the situation with temporary uncontrolled territories in Donetsk and Luhansk regions and to increase the public awareness concerning a real resource situation, that is what is the balance of incomes and expenses in Donetsk and Luhansk regions and in the regions, either controlled and not controlled by the Ukrainian authorities so that to finally resolve the issue: who feeds whom.

I’ll start, with your permission, from Donetsk region. The Ministry of Finance in synergy with the State Treasury Service of Ukraine and the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade have made appropriate calculations. I can tell you the balance for 2014 regarding Donetsk region. In Donetsk region the total amount of subsidies from the Central Budget along all levels of funds, both concerning local and national budget makes up UAH 37 billion.

With regard to Luhansk region, the state of matters. The overall subsidies from the Central Budget and from the local ones to cover the local budgets and to cover all the social benefits equal UAH 19.8 billion.

 We have now considered the balance for the areas controlled by us and also the areas that are temporarily controlled by Russian terrorists. Concerning Donetsk region, the territories that are temporarily supervised by Russian-led guerrillas require subsidies from the Central Ukrainian budget worth UAH 19.6 billion. In Luhansk region, the territories temporarily controlled by the Russian terrorists, require subsidies worth UAH 14.6 billion.

I’d like us to clearly realized the position of the Government.

During the time the territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions are supervised by all sorts of impostors, there won’t be directed funding from the Central Budget there. The Government won’t finance terrorists, swindlers and imposters.

Concerning the fate of people, I also declare publicly, all social payments, all privileges are being enumerated for each person. After Russian-led terrorists flee from the territories of Donetsk and Luhansk, we will immediately regain control over the territories and will pay each person a relevant social benefit he/she has the right for. Today, to pay money in this area means that the money will not reach the people, they will be stolen by Russian-led guerrillas, and it's nothing else than direct support of Russian terrorism.

I wish to remind that pursuant to the so-called Minsk agreements, they had to liberate the territories, Russia had to cease backing terrorists, and Ukraine had to regain control over respective territories. Just follow the agreements, clean the area of this virus, you delivered there, and don't make people hostages to your imperial ambitions, as the people are suffering.

 Moreover, there is an ongoing discussion concerning the supply of gas and electricity. Two opinions are heard. The first one is they don’t pay so let’s halt supplies. I would like to express the Government's position and my personal one, we have discussed that. There are our citizens there, and the Government will not allow these people to freeze, as it could lead to a humanitarian catastrophe. This is our territory, our people. We shall handle terrorists separately. But the winter is approaching. Hence, if we use tough measures now, it [the situation] will be particularly tough with respect to ordinary people.

So we shall provide them with gas and electricity, but at this I official declare: as soon as we regain control over the relevant territory, the amount of funds accumulated by the Government to fulfill payments of social benefits and subsidies will be reduced by the cost of electricity and gas, which we now supply to the territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which aren’t temporarily controlled by the central authorities. I consider it fair.

It is inexpedient just to urge Russia again to fulfill what they agreed, but to remind you about the need to stick to each of the 12 points of the Minsk agreements are considered necessary…so I raise this question once again.

 As for the negotiations, I repeat again, sitting with them at the negotiation table will unlikely be successful. One of the most effective and real formats is the Geneva format, which envisaged the participation of the United States, the European Union, Ukraine, and our northern geographical neighbor.

When one gives the promise, he must keep it. And I can see they have a problem with that. Therefrom, the people became hostages.

The third issue that we have to consider at today’s meeting is the second stage of lustration check in all government bodies. A draft order is to be ready from November 10. We’ve dismissed the first wave of officials. Now there is the second wave in all government bodies and departments, including all law enforcement agencies. November 10 launches the establishment of relevant committees and checks and decisions on the dismissal from public authorities and law enforcement departments of persons who fall under the law on lustration.

I also would like to raise the issue on a visa-free regime. We look forward to the arrival of the next EU mission to Ukraine for verification of the implementation of an action plan on visa liberalization I’ve just had a conversation with the previous head of the European Commission Mr. Barroso on this issue, it was our last conversation and would like to thank Mr. Barroso for the work that we did together. It was 10 years of the active European work.

But now, in order to effectively perform a visa-free regime, the Government decides to allocate UAH 150 mln for the purchase of more than 600 terminals for the roll-out of biometric passports. As I am dissatisfied with the work by the State Migration Service as to the implementation of the Government's order on the roll-out biometric passports. 35 thousand passports per month mean queues in every region to obtain an appropriate passport. We are allocating UAH 150 thousand.

So we’ve held a meeting with the Minister. We have two months. Today we are making a decision to allocate UAH 150 mln. for more than 600 terminals. It means that virtually every area we will put the appropriate terminal and the end of January the system should work.

In conclusion, an extremely important issue. I welcome Mr. Alasaniia, who is now at the session of the Government, the establishment of public television and radio broadcasting. Today the Government will consider a resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers on the establishment of a relevant legal entity, and in fact the launch of public television and radio broadcasting in Ukraine. There have been only talks over more than 20 years and now finally we’ve begun to do this.

Thanks to the media!