President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed Andriy Melnyk from the post of Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany.
The corresponding decree was signed on July 9 and posted on the website of the head of state.
Melnyk has served as Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany since 2014.
Tens of thousands of migrants will be able to legally stay in Germany after the country passed a law that makes it easier for them to obtain documents for permanent residence, the Associated Press (AP) reported on Wednesday.
“We want people who have already settled here to have good opportunities,” German Interior Minister Nancy Feather was quoted as saying by the AP.
“Also through this law, we will put an end to bureaucracy and uncertainty for people who have become part of society,” she added.
The new measure will affect around 136,000 people who have lived in Germany for at least five years.
At the same time, these people must have a decent salary, speak German and prove that they have integrated well into society.
Those who meet the necessary requirements can first apply for a residence status in Germany for a period of one year, and then for a permanent residence permit in the country.
People under 27 can apply for permanent residence after they have lived in the country for at least three years.
Information technology specialists, as well as some other specialists that Germany needs, will have the opportunity to move with their families, which was not possible before. In addition, the law will make it easier to enroll in German language courses for refugees, as well as facilitate the deportation of criminals.
Germany is ready to hold a conference on reforms in Ukraine in 2024, German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Svenja Schulze said.
“The restoration of a free and democratic Ukraine is our joint goal. Recovery and reforms are elements of what will be a strategic task for the coming years. Therefore, Germany will also host an international expert conference on reconstruction issues. Germany is also ready to host a conference on reforms in Ukraine in 2024 “, she said at the International Conference on the Reconstruction of Ukraine in Lugano (Switzerland) on Tuesday.
Schulze emphasized that the platform for the restoration of Ukraine should unite the Ukrainian government, all international partners and experts.
In addition, the minister stated that her government is committed to providing grants in the amount of EUR426 million in direct support to Ukraine.
A grant from the Federal Republic of Germany in the amount of EUR1 billion went to the state budget of Ukraine, the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine reported on Friday.
“The grant funds were transferred to the state budget through a special administrative account opened by the International Monetary Fund to send money from donor countries to help Ukraine,” the ministry said in a press release.
According to him, the proceeds will be used to finance priority budget expenditures during martial law.
In total, since the beginning of the war, Ukraine has already received EUR1.3 billion from Germany to support the financial and budgetary system, the Finance Ministry said.
Earlier this week, the Treasury announced that it had received a EUR446.8 million loan from the World Bank (WB) with a UK guarantee for EUR424.6 million, a US grant of $1.3 billion through a WB multi-donor account, and a loan from Japan for the equivalent of about $500 million.
In April 2022, the IMF decided to create an administrative account for crediting funds as part of the Special Drawing Rights (SDR) from donor countries in favor of Ukraine. All funds raised using this account should be used to maintain the financial stability of Ukraine in the form of grants or credits (loans).
Germany became the second country to use this tool, after Canada, which provided a concessional loan of 1 billion Canadian dollars (the equivalent of $773 million) in the first half of June.
The government estimates the budget’s monthly deficit financing needs at $5 billion. Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko previously predicted that international financial support for Ukraine would increase to $4.8 billion in June from $1.5 billion in May, and thanks to funds received at the end of the month, it was close to this amount. According to the head of the Ministry of Finance, in July the government expects to maintain the same significant volumes of external financing as in June. In particular, the second tranche of a US grant of approximately $1.3 billion and an EU loan of EUR1 billion are expected to arrive.
Germany will allocate EUR1 billion in grant funding to Ukraine for priority government spending, the corresponding agreement between the governments was signed on June 24, Minister of Finance of Ukraine Serhiy Marchenko told
“I thank my friend German Finance Minister Christian Lindner for the speed in implementing this important decision. This financial support is more important than ever and will bring our victory closer,” the head of the Ukrainian Ministry of Finance wrote on Facebook.
Earlier it was reported that these funds from Germany, presumably, will be provided through a special account administered by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
In April 2022, the IMF decided to create an administrative account for crediting funds as part of the Special Drawing Rights (SDR) from donor countries in favor of Ukraine. All funds raised using this account should be used to maintain the financial stability of Ukraine in the form of grants or credits (loans).
French President Emmanuel Macron, German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi have arrived in Ukraine.
A photo of the leaders of France, Germany and Italy on the train was posted on the Telegram channel of Ukrazilaznytsia on Thursday morning.
