Arseniy Yatsenyuk: Mobilization of the entire state machinery crucial to protect the country
“Not just
mobilization to the Armed Forces is crucial, but the mobilization of the entire
state machinery, the entire state apparatus to protect the country and people”,
urged Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk at an enlarged meeting of the
Government of Ukraine on Wednesday, 11 February, with the participation of
President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of
Ukraine Volodymyr Hroysman, chairmen of regional state administrations.
Arseniy Yatsenyuk stressed
that through the year after the Maidan’s events,
"Ukraine and Ukrainians have faced challenges that modern history does not
remember", "External aggression, the
aggression of the Russian Federation – an armed to the teeth country, which
aims to destroy the country and to endeavour internal destabilization".
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He reminded about a
meeting of the Heads of states such as Ukraine, Germany, France and Russia,
due in Minsk today, "The President of Ukraine today has a historical
mission: together with our European partners to do everything possible to
achieve peace in the country". The Head of
Government stressed that the President's Peace Plan, which was supported by
the entire community, “is abided by Ukraine, but isn’t abided by Russia”. "Our position
in negotiating will be strong only when we are capable to defend ourselves.
And mobilization implies not just the mobilization to the Armed Forces of the
country. It means mobilization of the entire state machinery, the entire
state apparatus to protect the country and the citizens of our country",
stressed Arseniy Yatsenyuk. He highlighted the
state apparatus had undergone a series of changes, in particular in the
process of forming the new Cabinet of Ministers, approval of the Program and forming
the parliamentary coalition, “But I have to acknowledge that changes at the
top haven’t entailed changes at the lower levels. Half of the officials who
had been working before Maidan’s events are
following the same rules at the same offices, but after Maidan’s
events”. The Prime Minister
stressed that there were revealed frequent cases of bribery and official
malfeasance. He reminded the recent arrest of the Deputy head of the State
Fiscal Service in Volyn with a bribe worth UAH 400
thousand. Arseniy Yatsenyuk
emphasized that at the previous Government’s meeting all the central
executive authorities had been commissioned to hold personnel changes at the
local level, "As even those who came a year or half a year ago, have
already "adjusted", learnt to live by the old rules". "That's why
essential is unity, responsibility and change. Changes for which each
official is answerable: whether a Minister or an administration head, or a
head of a district tax service," said Arseniy Yatsenyuk. |