Dmytro Shymkiv: In order to implement all reforms of the Strategy-2020 corruption needs to be combatted and rule of law established as priority measures

"In the framework of the Strategy-2020 eight first-hand reforms and two programmes were outlined. Reforms include renewal of authorities and anti-corruption, judicial, law enforcement, national defense and security system, civil service reforms, decentralization, deregulation and development of entrepreneurship, healthcare and tax reforms. Two programmes include energy independence and promoting Ukraine in the world," informed the Deputy Chief of the Presidential Administration Dmytro Shymkiv at a briefing held at the Ukraine Crisis Media Center under support of the International Renaissance Foundation.

While speaking on how particular reforms are relevant to the vision of Ukraine’s development as laid down in the "Strategy-2020" Dmytro Shymkiv explained: "Our goal is European standards of life and respectable place of Ukraine in the world. We’ve defined four vectors of movement: development vector that consists of economic reforms, security vector consisting of security and defense sectors reforms as well as of those relevant to rule of law – it is a set of anti-corruption, law enforcement, judicial reforms as security is not only about the country but about its people and business; the third vector is responsibility and social security including bloc of social reforms and decentralization; the fourth vector is national pride, everything connected with Ukrainian culture, science and promotion of Ukraine in the world."

Mr. Shymkiv also noted that the reforms plan corresponds to the provisions of the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement: "We need to understand that the way to Europe will be complicated and we have to correspond to the distinct criteria, there are 35 of them. Actually each of these 35 criteria is a certain reform that needs to be implemented. They are in particular rule of law, energy efficiency, social security and elections legislation reforms".

Dmytro Shymkiv also informed that the web site http://reforms.in.ua/ was set up, it is a platform for expert’s and public discussion on reforms and has the "Strategy-2020" currently presented on it.

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The Strategy for development of Ukraine until 2020 foresees 62 reforms and was presented by the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko on 25 September. Public discussions of the "Strategy-2020" headed by the Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration Dmytro Shymkiv took place on 29 September and got together around 250 experts.