The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, has called on the Ukrainian government to step up its anti-corruption efforts.
“We know that some important legislation for the Association Agreement has yet to be adopted, so work has to be doubled in some crucial areas,” Mogherini said in an interview with news agency UNIAN.
“Anti-corruption is one of those measures and we expect the law to be adopted to establish an independent and efficient high-level anti-corruption tribunal that will bring the draft in line with the recommendations of the Venice Commission. It is what the people of Ukraine need and expect – and we will continue to stand by their side, with our support for the Ukrainian reform agenda.”
When asked whether there is any kind of official fatigue in the EU towards Ukraine, Mogherini replied: “Not at all, our political and diplomatic engagement is more intense than ever … It is true that some reforms are not going so fast, however, we would like to remain as committed as ever in the reform process, because our commitment goes to the Ukrainian people.”
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko recently said in an interview with the Financial Times that Ukraine has implemented more reforms in the last six months than any other country in the world.
International financial organizations insisted that Ukraine establish an anti-corruption court. After years of blocking the creation of the court Poroshenko presented parliament with the draft bill for the anti-corruption court last December.
However, after the first reading of the bill in parliament earlier this month, the IMF, Ukraine’s main creditor said it could not support the law in its current form as it does not provide for a panel of international experts to oversee judicial appointments.
This is a core requirement among Ukraine’s donors if they are to accept the credibility of the court. Yet Poroshenko told the Financial Times that judges to the court must be appointed by Ukrainians and not foreign experts.
“If anybody can imagine that foreign donors will form Ukraine’s courts, this is against the constitution,” he said
