Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has described as successful the fulfillment by Ukraine of its tasks in order to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
He announced this from the rostrum at the 65th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, the United States, on Wednesday.
"We have submitted a national report on meeting the criteria to achieve the Millennium Development Goals to the U.N. Secretariat. One can see from this document that Ukraine has made a significant progress," Yanukovych said.
He said that the main thing was that the country was resolving tasks to raise social standards.
"We managed to significantly reduce the proportion of people living in poverty," Yanukovych said.
He noted that Ukraine had fairly high figures in education, which is now being reformed. Yanukovych also said that the situation in the country’s health sector had significantly improved.
"Achievements are especially notable in reducing child mortality and improving maternal health," he said.
Yanukovych noted that the Millennium Development Goals had also become a guideline in the system of priorities for the implementation of a strategy of reforms in Ukraine initiated by the president.
He said that the priorities of this policy ensured the welfare of the population, combating poverty, achieving high living standards, fighting HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, guaranteeing the availability and quality of education, as well as environmental security and gender equality.
Ukraine’s president also noted that Ukraine could soon become an important player in the global efforts to overcome hunger in a number of the world’s regions.
"I am convinced that in the near future our powerful agriculture can make our country an important player in the global efforts to overcome hunger in a number of the world’s regions," he said.
Yanukovych said that Ukraine responsibly regarded the challenges of the world food crisis.
He recalled that last year Ukraine had for the first time become a contributor to the U.N. World Food Program.
The president also said that Ukraine was open for further cooperation.
"We are ready to continue working as a reliable partner of the international community in resolving global problems and achieving the Millennium Development Goals," Yanukovych said.
Speaking about the fulfillment by Ukraine of tasks within the Millennium Development Goals, he noted that Ukraine’s utmost concern was the situation with the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
"We have to focus special efforts on this problem," Yanukovych said.
He also noted that the global financial crisis had prevented Ukraine, as well as a number of other countries, from achieving the tasks set as part of the Millennium Development Goals.
Yanukovych said that the only way for Ukraine to achieve sustainable development was to carry out "decisive and comprehensive reforms to improve the competitiveness of our economy combined with a reasonable social policy."
"I believe that the Millennium Development Goals are realistic and attainable. To reach them, we need to see consistent internal efforts of each country and close cooperation between all nations in the world. Ukraine is ready for such efforts and cooperation," he added.
He said that despite the difficulties caused by the financial crisis, this year Ukraine had "been able to accumulate resources and provide assistance to the people of Haiti through the U.N. Central Emergency Response Fund."
"Assistance to the countries in trouble is our traditional and constant practice on the bilateral level," Yanukovych said.
