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Kyiv (Interfax-Ukraine) – The main Ukrainian achievement in 2008 in preparing the country to host the Euro 2012 Football Championship was to organize systematic work with its Polish partners, Ukrainian Minister for Family, Youth and Sports Yuriy Pavlenko said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine on Monday.

"Despite all of the difficulties, we started systematic work in preparing for Euro 2012 in accordance with an established draft plan. The plans for 2008 have been fully implemented and we have also met all of our obligations. Besides, one of the main achievements of 2008 was to start systematic work with our Polish partners," he said.

Pavlenko also said that "now everyone understands, that Ukraine and Poland are two teams [working on] one project."

He also said that in 2008 Ukraine managed to overcome the problems facing the most critical project - the reconstruction of the Olimpiysky national sports complex.

The majority of the 32 training bases for teams to use during Euro 2102 are ready.

Pavlenko said that despite the worsening financial and economic crisis both in Ukraine and in Europe, "we will manage to prepare for Euro 2012, and this [crisis] will not affect the preparations."