Ambassadors of the “Big Seven” (G7) countries recalled the critical importance of the timely appointment of the head of the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) in Ukraine.
“As we discussed with Deputy Prime Minister Olga Stefanyshina on July 7, the G7 ambassadors reiterate that the timely appointment of the head of the SAP is critically important for strengthening the anti-corruption institutions of Ukraine,” the message on Twitter states.
As reported, the European Commission recommended granting Ukraine the status of a candidate for EU membership “with the understanding that seven steps will be taken.” One of these steps was called “completion of the appointment of the new head of the SAP by certifying the identified winner of the competition” and the launch and completion of the process of selection and appointment of the new director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU).
The competition commission for the election of the head of the SAP from 2021 cannot approve the results of the competition, according to which NABU detective Alexander Klymenko received 246 points for the position of head of the SAP, and prosecutor of the Prosecutor General’s Office Andrey Sinyuk – 229 points.
The updated memorandum of economic and financial policy of Ukraine with the International Monetary Fund provided for the election of a new head of the SAP by December 2021.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, following the dismissal of Andriy Melnyk from the post of Ambassador of Ukraine to Germany, also dismissed 4 more ambassadors by decrees of July 9. In particular, Ludmila Nepop was fired from the post of Ukraine’s ambassador to Hungary, Vyacheslav Yatsyuk from the post of Ukraine’s ambassador to Norway, Yevhen Perebiinos from the post of Ukraine’s ambassador to the Czech Republic.
Igor Polikha was also fired from the post of Ambassador of Ukraine to India, as well as from the post of Ambassador of Ukraine to the Maldives, Nepal, Shri Lanka, Bangladesh concurrently.
Nepop has been Ukraine’s ambassador to Hungary since 2016. Yatsyuk was appointed Ambassador of Ukraine to Norway in 2016. Perebiynis has been Ukraine’s ambassador to Norway since 2017. Poliha has served as the Ambassador of Ukraine to India since 2015.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that he signed decrees on the recall of Ukrainian ambassadors due to the fact that “they are losing time on the diplomatic front” in the countries of their diplomatic mission against the backdrop of Russian aggression in Ukraine.
“There are those who work together with everyone for the defense of the state. In order for Ukraine to win its future. We appreciate the work of each such person. And there are those who waste time just to remain in office. Today I signed decree on the recall of such a person, on the recall of such an ambassador from Morocco. They also returned the ambassador from Georgia. With all due respect – there will be no weapons, there will be no sanctions, there will be no obstacles for Russian business – please look for another job,” Zelensky said in a statement. video message on Wednesday evening.
He also added that he expects concrete results in the coming days from the work of Ukrainian diplomats in Latin America, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Africa.
“I expect the same results from military attachés every day. The diplomatic front is one of the key fronts. And everyone there must work as efficiently as possible to win and help the Ukrainian army. Just like every one of our defenders on the battlefield. So does everyone on the diplomatic front,” summed up the president.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed former Deputy Head of the President’s Office, former member of the Supervisory Board of NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy Yulia Kovaliv as Ambassador of Ukraine to Canada.
A photocopy of the relevant decree was posted on Facebook by Deputy Head of the President’s Office Andriy Sybiha.
In addition, Vasyl Miroshnychenko was appointed Ambassador of Ukraine to Australia, and Mykola Nahorny was appointed Ambassador of Ukraine to Egypt
Polish Ambassador to Ukraine Bartosz Cichocki, Turkish Ambassador to Ukraine Yağmur Ahmet Güldere and Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas continue to work in Kyiv, the Polish Ambassador to Ukraine said.
“There are also a nuncio and a Turkish ambassador,” Cichocki said on Twitter on Wednesday.
So he responded to the media’s suggestion that he was the only Western ambassador who did not leave Kyiv.
The ambassadors of the European Union have excluded Ukraine from the list of countries for which it is recommended to lift the restrictive measures imposed on unnecessary travel to the EU due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This decision was made on Friday in Brussels, diplomatic sources reported to Interfax-Ukraine.
The official decision will be announced next week. It was adopted in connection with the increase in the incidence of coronavirus in Ukraine. The country was included in the list, which is reviewed every two weeks, on 15 July.
As previously reported, on 30 June 2020, the Council adopted a recommendation to gradually remove temporary restrictions on non-essential travel to the EU. This recommendation included an initial list of countries for which Member States can remove travel restrictions at external borders.
On May 20, the Council adopted a recommendation to amend in response to ongoing vaccination campaigns by introducing certain exemptions for vaccinated persons and relaxing the criteria for lifting restrictions for third countries. At the same time, the amendments take into account the possible risks associated with new options, establishing an emergency braking mechanism that allows to quickly respond to the emergence of a new option or deterioration of the situation in a third country.
The Council’s recommendation is not a legally binding document. The authorities of the member countries remain responsible for their implementation.
