Berlin: Kiev must continue to Pursue Reforms
Against the backdrop of accusations of corruption in Ukraine, the Government of Germany warned the authorities in Kiev that a deviation from the initial course of reforms would have consequences. “The scandal surrounding the resignation of the Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine, Aivaras Abromavičius should be a wake-up call for Kiev,” a representative of the German Foreign Ministry said on the 15th of February.
“We insist that the Ukrainian leadership, Ukrainian Parliament, Ukrainian Government and the President of Ukraine undertake an obligation to consistently pursue the adopted course of reforms this week and in the future,” Reuters quotes the Press-Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany as saying.
The representative of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs recalled that multi-billion dollar packages of financial assistance were given to Ukraine based on their voluntary implementation of reforms..
The credit program of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is connected with specific conditions which clarify the programs needed to fight corruption. The IMF warned Kiev about the possible cessation of financial assistance after the resignation of Abromavičius.
As stated by the Managing Director of the IMF, Christine Lagarde, it’s hard to imagine further support of the country without significant efforts being made by the Ukrainian Government. Lagarde also expressed concern about how slowly Ukraine moves ahead in the fight against corruption.