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Vladimir Groysman appointed Ukraine’s prime minister

Arseniy Yatsenyuk's resignation has been approved
Vladimir Groysman EPA/ROMAN PILIPEY
Vladimir Groysman
© EPA/ROMAN PILIPEY

KIEV, April 14. /TASS/. Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, has endorsed Arseniy Yatsenyuk’s resignation and appointed Vladimir Groysman as the new prime minister.

The parliament also recalled the decision on the unsatisfactory work of Yatsenyuk’s government.

A total of 257 MPs backed this package of documents, above the required minimum of 226 votes.

Groysman later asked to allow him to step down as Rada’s speaker. "I resign as the chairman of Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada," he said, promising to show what it means to rule the state at the post of the prime minister.

"The parliament was and remains efficient: the laws find support of most MPs, we have formed an anti-corruption legislation, declared Russia an aggressor, started forming a new police and approved decentralization," he said.

Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko earlier urged Rada members to approve Groysman as prime minister.

"I address you with a request to appoint prime minister today and approve the new format of the cabinet of ministers in the short term," Poroshenko addressed Rada deputies on Thursday.

"We will have a politically responsible government. This responsibility will be borne by two political forces and independent deputies that will stay in the coalition," he added.

"I note that Groysman is a politician of a new generation. He will probably become the youngest prime minister in Ukrainian history," Poroshenko said.

Poroshenko also proposed to keep Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin and Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak in their positions.

"In the framework of my powers, I once again ask to choose Poltorak as defense minister and Klimkin as foreign minister," Poroshenko said on Thursday.