Brussels, 08/07/2014 (Agence Europe) - The participants in the high-level coordination and implementation meeting for international support to Ukraine recognised “the need”, on Tuesday 8 July, “to strengthen the coordination of external financial and technical assistance on the basis of democratic and economic stabilisation and of reform priorities”. Further concerted effort from donors is also needed to address the future challenges “including the special needs in the Donbas region of Ukraine”. An international platform will guide the donors' efforts and the European Commission's support group will facilitate the strategic coordination with a view to ensuring the coherence and maximum effectiveness of the international support efforts.
During the meeting, the donors presented their contributions “in the light of the government of Ukraine's reform agenda, based on the European agenda for reform and supported by the IMF and World Bank programmes, supporting the economic, social and political reforms”, the conclusions stated. No figures were given. Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Füle called for economic, judicial, constitutional, decentralisation and energy reforms. The donors also noted “the important role that the private sector can play in the process towards economic stabilisation and transition to inclusive and sustainable economic growth”. The private sector should, furthermore, participate in the donors' and investors' conference which is due to take place in the autumn.
The donors also want to assist Ukraine in preparing an agenda for growth and economic recovery for 2014-2016, “including potential sources of financing”.
The Ukrainian government defined its plans for a central authority to supervise the implementation of the EU association agreement and to ensure an effective coordination between the donors, as well as the coherence and viability of the reform agenda. “We don't just need funds but also help to relaunch the projects”, said Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Groysman. He stated that “each euro given to Ukraine has be used in a very transparent and effective way”, and gave assurances that his country was going to fight against corruption.
The Ukrainians also presented their needs for financial and technical assistance, including emergency measures for the stabilisation process in the south of the country. These measures focus, among other things, on strengthening the state border, the guarantee to respond to the urgent need of people displaced inside the country, the development of a special post-conflict rehabilitation programme for the region of Donbas and implementing a guarantee fund (our translation throughout). (CG)