Arseniy Yatsenyuk presented the Government's Action Program

At a Government session on Tuesday, December 9, the Prime Minister of Ukraine presented an action program of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

Arseniy Yatsenyuk said that the program of the previous Government had been brief, but “has been practically implemented", "Similar policy has been pursued in the process of formation of a new program of the new Cabinet of Ministers."

The PM explained that the basis of the Action Program of the Government, was the coalition agreement, "the basement is what we need to do in the country. There cannot be simple solutions while fast and simple decisions are not always proved effective. That is why the new Government with a new Parliament and President, and in particular together with the Ukrainian people, should execute our common European program".

"Our principal line is a European line," the Head of Government stressed.

"Our final goal is Ukraine's membership in the European Union. But to achieve this goal it is necessary to go through serious experiences, to carry out radical changes and to actually modify Ukraine, to make Ukraine a European country. Then we will receive an invitation from our European partners. It is what our program is directed to," said Arseniy Yatsenyuk.

According to him, the program envisages clear short-term actions for the upcoming years, called to overcome the principal challenges Ukraine is facing.

Arseniy Yatsenyuk named the main challenge which is "a threat to Ukrainian independence and is connected with the Russian military aggression against Ukraine", "Annexation of Crimea, Russian terrorists in Donbas – all this have threatened the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Ukrainian state. We are losing the most precious thing we have in our country - our people. Losses among civilians and Ukrainian soldiers who protect the state are impossible to return, but we must help people and help Ukraine to survive this hard period and to stop the Russian military aggression".

A question of Ukraine's independence, he explained, is directly related to energy dependence, "A lot has been done, first and foremost, natural gas supply sources have been diversified. We have switched from Russia to the European Union. But much more needs to be done in energy efficiency area".

The PM stressed, economy is affected by war as well, "It is evident that we are experiencing the decline in industrial production, the fall in the gross domestic product, depreciation of the national currency, the reserves are being cut. Such is the price of military aggression. And the banking system, being one of the key elements of an economy of any state, is in dire straits".

"Apart from external aggression, we have internal aggression - corruption, irresponsibility, bribery and inefficient public management", said Arseniy Yatsenyuk.

"The Government submits for consideration of Ukraine our vision of how to overcome these challenges and how to change the country", accentuated the Prime Minister of Ukraine.