Ukraine needs more transparency and an improved business climate to move towards membership in European and Euro-Atlantic institutions, U.S. Charge d’Affaires in Ukraine Kristina Kvien has said.
“To help Ukraine move towards membership in European and Euro-Atlantic institutions, Ukraine needs more transparency, less corruption, and a better business environment. Ukraine’s commitments under IMF, World Bank and EU financial assistance programs provide valuable roadmaps to follow. Changes in these areas will help Ukraine become the modern, Western country the Ukrainian people aspire to,” Kvien said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
When asked what the expectations of the United States from Ukraine in terms of reforms are, she pointed out that in fact such a wording is not appropriate, since the United States is working with Ukraine to help it build an economy for its own needs, so that it works for the benefit of the Ukrainian people and could realize their own aspirations.
“This is a win-win situation. Because a prosperous, secure, peaceful and democratic Ukraine will strengthen Europe and be a strong U. S. partner,” Kvien stressed.
At the same time, the U.S. Charge d’Affaires noted that one of the achievements is the land reform, which is expected to be implemented this summer, creating for the first time a land market that will help unleash Ukraine’s huge agricultural potential.
“Parliament is also looking at a draft law right now that will ensure transparency in the future land market and provide financial assistance to Ukrainian farmers. That would be a important achievement on top of what has already been done in land reform,” she said.
Kvien noted that decentralization is another key reform, as local governments, for the first time, have been given the authority to allocate budgets in line with local priorities.
“Decentralization is another key reform—because for the first time local governments have the power to allocate budgets in line with local priorities. And a success that is on the way, it seems, is passage of a package of privatization bills. If it passes, it will lead to a more transparent and fair privatization process for state-owned firms, which could create a wave of foreign investment, help modernize these firms, and employ thousands of Ukrainians. These are all important achievements on the economic front,” she said.
