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Regions Party against sale of Odesa Portside Plant The Regions Party has spoken out against the government's intentions to launch the privatization of the Odesa Portside Plant (OPZ), and described the deepening financial and economic crisis and the actual start of the presidential election in Ukraine as major obstacles to this move.

"The government, in the heat of the global financial and economic crisis, at the worst possible moment [given] the falling value of major assets, and an unprecedented situation on the market, has announced the start of the privatization of the Odesa Portside Plant," reads the statement released by the party on Thursday.

"The Regions Party thinks that OPZ has huge potential that could favor the strong promotion of Ukrainian national interests in the outside world," the party said.

The Regions Party also described the government's decision as "short-sighted and unreasonable" and said that this decision could be compared to "a crime against the state and its people."

The statement also says that the decision to announce the sale of the plant seriously violated current laws, because "strategic objects in Ukraine can be privatized only in line with a state [privatization] program, which was not adopted this year."

As reported, the State Property Fund announced a tender to sell a 99.567% stake in the Odesa Portside Plant with a starting price of UAH 4 billion. The tender will be held 75 days after the date of its announcement.