Ukraine’s Ex-president presents economic recovery program

Fifth President Petro Poroshenko has presented Ukraine’s economic recovery program.

The ex-president made these remarks during the European Financial Congress in Sopot, Poland, according to RBC-Ukraine.

President Poroshenko stressed that Ukraine needs the Marshall Plan, which is aimed at the country’s membership in the EU and NATO.

“Today we are focused on the Marshall Plan for Ukraine. It should be based on such basic principles as transparency, efficiency and trust and also on "funds in exchange for reforms" principle,” he said.

He also added that it is necessary to build new Ukraine, fully modernise all political, economic and social institutions according to the Copenhagen criteria.

“It will be Ukraine, which perfectly corresponds to the EU. Ukraine is completing the European project, because without Ukraine, the EU project would have never been completed. For this purpose, Ukraine should obtain the EU candidate status. This would arouse bigger investment interest in Ukraine. This would help reforms to be intensively carried out in Ukraine,” Poroshenko stressed.

The ex-president noted that the European Commission should become the coordinator of this plan for the revival and restoration of Ukraine as a guarantor of Ukraine's future membership in the EU.

He noted that after 2014, Ukraine, despite the Russian aggression, was able to introduce many pro-European reforms, in particular, the decentralization reform, the banking system clean-up, and the deregulation of business.

Poroshenko also stressed that Ukrainians were able to surprise the world and will be able to do it again.

He urged to provide Ukraine with the status of a candidate member of the EU and Membership Action Plan (MAP) in NATO soon.

“We need a candidate status now. Afterwards, Ukraine will surprise the world for the second time when it rapidly carries out the reforms. Ukraine is the most optimistic nation on the European continent. We know what we want and we know how to achieve it,” the ex-president added.