IMF concerned by resignation of Ukrainian Economic Minister
The decision of Aivaras Abromavičius to resign as the Minister of Economic Development and Tradeof Ukraine has created concern in the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
According to Interfax Ukraine, this was stated as a press conference in Washington by the Managing Director of the IMF, Christine Lagarde.
“His decision to resign is a matter of concern. If the suspicions he expressed when he communicated his intention to resign are reliable, it is a clear sign that the undertakings made by government for combating corruption are not being fulfilled,” Lagarde continued.
She also mentioned the decisions made by Ukraine with regard to a range of challenges for the country. These include the stabilization of the financial situation, preventing further loss of gold reserves and making energy tariffs compliant with their market prices.
At the same time, the head of the IMF noted that much has to be done regarding the anti-corruption framework.
“Actions have to be decisive and strict. The authorities are accountable not only to the Ukrainian people, but also to the international community,” Lagarde emphasized.
On the 3rd February, Aivaras Abromavičius resigned amid a number of accusations made by him against Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and the first deputy of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc (PPB), Igor Kononenko.
Today, the Ukrainian news agency Apostrophe reported on the emergency session of the Cabinet of Ministers. Four ministers stated that they would withdraw their letters of resignation. These ministers were: the Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, Oleksiy Pavlenko; the Minister of Information Policy of Ukraine, Yuriy Stets; the Minister of Healthcare of Ukraine, Alexander Kvitashvili, and the Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine, Andriy Pivovarsky.