The year of 2015 has
commenced with strong support for Ukraine by the Western partners: the European
Commission has decided to offer a third package of macro-financial assistance worth
EUR 1.8 billion, and Germany - on the provision of a EUR 500 million loan for
the rehabilitation of infrastructure in Ukraine. This was announced by Prime
Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk at the meeting of the Government of
Ukraine on Friday, January 9.
He reminded that the Governmental
delegation through 7-8 January had been in Germany, and German Chancellor
Angela Merkel, as the leader of the core European Union’s country, had given a
clear signal that Ukraine was not alone, Ukraine would receive the assistance,
and among the key challenges for Europe were to help Ukraine both to stabilize
the economic situation and to establish peace within the country.
The Prime Minister
also stressed that on 8 January the European Commission had adopted a decision to
offer a third package of macro-financial assistance to Ukraine worth EUR 1.8
billion: "This is an important step."
Another significant
step, according to the PM, is a decision of Germany to grant a EUR 500 million
loan for the rehabilitation of infrastructure in Ukraine. The corresponding
statement, Arseniy Yatsenyuk reminded, was signed during the official visit of
the Governmental delegation to Berlin: "Basically it includes infrastructure
in the Eastern regions of Ukraine, as well as in Donbas, rebuilding of railways,
hospitals, schools. And these are not just signals, but concrete steps that our
Western partners do to stabilize the situation."
"But under any
circumstances, the principal task and the main burden of the work should be
shared by Ukraine, the Ukrainians and the Ukrainian Government. The year is difficult,
the objectives are complex, but we have to cope with each task and each
challenge that our state is currently facing. And these imply the stabilization
of the economic situation and the establishment of peace and stability within
the country", said Arseniy Yatsenyuk.
