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Ukraine parliament approves Volodymyr Groysman as new PM

Newly-appointed Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman greets deputies at the parliament in Kiev, April 14, 2016. ©Reuters

Ukraine’s parliament has voted in Volodymyr Groysman, a close ally of President Petro Poroshenko, as prime minister in the most significant political shuffle since a pro-Western government took power two years ago.

On Thursday, lawmakers voted by 257 to 50 to approve Groysman to replace Arseniy Yatsenyuk who announced his resignation on Sunday.

Yatsenyuk came to power promising to tackle corruption and implement economic reforms but he was accused of failing to fight graft.

Speaking ahead of the vote, 38-year-old Groysman, Ukraine’s youngest-ever premier, said he is committed to tackling Ukraine’s endemic corruption and strengthening ties with the European Union.

“I understand the threats that face us. In particular I would like to highlight three threats - corruption, ineffective governance and populism,” he said.

Arseniy Yatseniuk, the former Ukrainian prime minister, leaves a session of parliament in Kiev on April 14, 2016.

“We have to accelerate the pace of reforms. I would like to see this government restore the public's trust,” the pro-West Groysman added.

The European Union welcomed the approval of a new prime minister in Ukraine as a “crucial development at a time when new momentum in the country is badly needed.”

Poroshenko hopes the appointment of the former parliamentary speaker will end months of crisis in the European country’s east.

Ukraine’s eastern provinces of Donetsk and Lugansk have witnessed deadly clashes between pro-Moscow forces and the Ukrainian army since Kiev launched military operations in April 2014 to crush pro-Moscow protests there.

The crisis has left more than 9,000 people dead and over 20,000 others injured, according to the United Nations.


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