Press Release No. 17/474

Statement by the IMF Managing Director on Ukraine

December 7, 2017

Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and Petro Poroshenko, President of Ukraine, spoke today about recent events. Following the call, Ms. Lagarde issued the following statement:

“I had a constructive and open discussion with President Poroshenko on Ukraine’s efforts to fight corruption, which is expected by the Ukrainian society and is critical to improve transparency and accountability and create the conditions for sustainable growth.

“I emphasized that investigating and promptly adjudicating incidences of corruption is critical to advance these objectives and maintain public trust. In this regard, we agreed on the need to maintain the independence and enhance the operational capacity of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office.

“We also agreed that the prompt establishment of the anti-corruption court is an essential complement of these efforts. In this regard, I supported the President’s agenda for the submission of a draft law to Parliament in the coming days consistent with the Venice Commission’s recommendations and past agreements under the IMF-supported program. It will be important that all members of Parliament unite behind the bill and approve it as a matter of priority.

“I assured the President that the IMF stands ready to continue to support Ukraine, along with other international partners, in the fight against corruption and encouraged the authorities to accelerate the implementation of reforms that are necessary to further improve the prospects of Ukraine’s economy and its people.”