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Vasyl Kuybida: “Ukraine will be relying on Strasbourg as it puts its new regional policy into practice”

Vasyl Kuybida, Ukraine’s Minister for Regional Development and Construction, told the Congress about his country's regional self-government reforms

Interview 28.05.2008

Question: Minister, you came to this session of the Congress to give an account of the progress made by local and regional policy reforms in Ukraine. What kind of balance sheet did you present?

Vasyl Kuybida: Unfortunately, I have to admit that our desire for reform has not produced the results we had hoped for over the past few years. Our policy has suffered at the hands of politico-financial cliques which have restricted the influence of government policy in many parts of the country. The upshot has been significant differences in social levels between regions, a lack of understanding, tensions between regions and a loss of citizens' trust.

This is why the government has decided on a new regional policy, which I am currently preparing.

Question: What are your reforms based on?

Vasyl Kuybida: Firstly, on the commitments that Ukraine made on becoming a member of the Council of Europe. It is on these commitments that I am basing my work, which relies on the assistance of the Council of Europe experts, the Chamber of Regions of the Congress and its Task Force. I am very grateful for all this support.

 

Question: Have your prospects of success improved?

Vasyl Kuybida: Definitely. From now on, I enjoy the support of both the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister. In addition, I can rely on not just the parliamentary majority, but also the support of the opposition, both persuaded of the need for regional policy reform.

My experience in the Congress, of which I was once Vice-President, has also been very useful. Because I had held that responsibility, I have been able to highlight the need for reform in Ukraine on the basis of the European standards and European values that the totalitarian Soviet regime flouted for so many years.