KIEV, March 4. /TASS/. Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada (parliament) has approved the new cabinet nominated by new Prime Minister Denis Shmygal. The decision passed with a vote of 277 in favor, well beyond the 226 vote required.

The new cabinet will supersede the former government led by Prime Minister Alexey Goncharuk, which functioned for six months only.

First, in a package vote the lawmakers confirmed the 13 candidates nominated by the new prime minister and later approved the defense and foreign ministers nominated by President Vladimir Zelensky.

Thus, 15 ministers entered the new cabinet. However, four seats are still vacant, namely the posts of ministers of Economic Development and Agriculture, of Energy and Environmental Protection, of Education and Science and also of Culture.

Interior Minister Arsen Avakov, Deputy Prime Minister and Digital Transformation Minister Mikhail Fedorov, Infrastructure Minister Vladislav Krikliy and Justice Minister Denis Maliuska retained their positions in the new cabinet.

Dmitry Kuleba, who had served as Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration in the previous government, was confirmed as new foreign minister. He changed portfolios with former Foreign Minister Vadim Pristayko, now appointed deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration.

In addition, Ukraine’s parliament confirmed Retired Lieutenant General Andrei Taran, nominated by President Vladimir Zelensky, as new defense minister. Previously, he was a member of the security subgroup at the Contact Group seeking peace for eastern Ukraine.

Among the new names is also Finance Minister Igor Umansky, who was an adviser to Presidents Leonid Kuchma and Pyotr Poroshenko.