Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal says that the IAEA plans to extend its mission at Zaporizhia NPP.
“By its actions at Zaporizhia NPP, Russia has brought the whole of Europe to the brink of a nuclear catastrophe. The safety of our nuclear facilities is one of the key challenges for everyone in the world. We discussed this issue at the UN with the president of France, the prime ministers of Japan and New Zealand, the foreign ministers of Great Britain, Germany and India, with the leadership of the EU, as well as with the head of the IAEA, Mr. Grossi. Everyone understands the importance of the demilitarization of Zaporizhia NPP and the safe operation of the facility. As one of the steps in this direction, the IAEA plans to extend its mission at the station,” Shmyhal said.
According to him, the Ukrainian government is also working to organize international UN and EU missions to Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.
“Russia arranges provocations and shelling of ZNPP almost every day. They want to disconnect this largest nuclear power plant in Europe from the Ukrainian network and continue to use the station as a military base. Therefore, it is so important that Russian troops be withdrawn not only from Zaporizhia NPP, but also from Energodar. A 30-kilometer security zone should be created,” Shmyhal stressed.
Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal and President of the European Investment Bank (EIB) Werner Hoyer discussed the restoration of Ukraine and support for small and medium-sized businesses in our state, the government portal reported on Thursday.
“Today, the state understands that large enterprises are under the threat of shelling by Russia. The infrastructure of some of them is damaged or destroyed, as a result of which many have been left without work. So our goal is to quickly create many jobs, and we see the implementation of this task in development and creation of micro, small and medium businesses,” Shmyhal said during the conversation.
Hoyer, in turn, initiated the dispatch of the next EIB mission to Ukraine, during which, in particular, attention will be paid to this area of cooperation.
The head of the Ukrainian government and the president of the EIB discussed the prospects and vision for the renewal of Ukraine, as well as the participation of the EIB in this process.
“I am convinced that the rapid process of Ukraine’s European integration and obtaining full membership will also improve cooperation with the EIB, because this is a good basis for launching new projects for the restoration, modernization and reform of our country,” Shmyhal said, stressing that some infrastructure facilities need to be restored now, therefore Ukraine needs $3.4 billion this year.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, in a telephone conversation with Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva, discussed the progress towards the adoption of the state budget of Ukraine for 2021, the preservation of the anti-corruption agenda and macroeconomic stability in the country.
“Our teams enjoy strong trust & work closely to welcome the IMF mission ASAP,” he wrote on Twitter on Tuesday night.
The European Trade Union Confederation is concerned about a lack of social dialogue in Ukraine and will send its monitoring mission to the country, Natalia Zemlianska, Chairman of the All-Ukrainian Trade Union of Production Workers and Entrepreneurs of Ukraine Natalia Zemlianska has said. “On December 17, the European Trade Union Confederation issued a statement expressing very strong concern over a lack of social dialogue in Ukraine,” Zemlianska said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine.
According to her, precisely because of the absence of such a dialogue, the parliament passed bills that discriminate against individual entrepreneurs, the Cabinet of Ministers is trying to agree on a new Labor Code, and people are forced to go outside in order to be heard.
“The European Trade Union Confederation is committed, firstly, to raise this issue at the level of the European Commission and the European Parliament, and secondly, it will now organize a mission to Ukraine to monitor the situation on the spot,” the expert stated.
The position of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on negotiations with Ukraine on the resumption of funding remains the same: the Fund is awaiting the formation of a new government and wants to see priorities of its policy.
IMF Spokesperson Gerry Rice said at a press briefing in Washington, D.C., on Thursday that the IMF team was ready to return to Kyiv to continue discussions after the parliamentary elections as soon as the new government is able to decide on its policy priorities.
