You're reading: Yatsenyuk, Merkel to discuss implementation of Minsk agreements

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, who is currently on a working visit to Berlin, plans to discuss the implementation of the Minsk agreements among other issues during his planned talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Speaking to German journalists, Yatsenyuk said also that Merkel and he would also address economic projects “that the chancellor has started in support for Ukraine.”

In particular, he said the two would discuss the signature of documents for implementing a German governmental “500 million euro program for Ukraine’s economic stabilization.”

“We expect that German businesses will be invited to take part in this program, as EUR 200 million out of this EUR 500 million will be forwarded to the national budget and the other EUR 300 million will be allotted for infrastructural and economic projects,” he said.

Yatsenyuk said also that, while meeting with Merkel and also with members of the German business community, he would raise the issue of engaging EU and U.S. investors in the joint modernization and operation of Ukraine’s gas transport company.

Yatsenyuk is currently meeting with German businessmen. Speaking to journalists before the meeting, the Ukrainian prime minister said the main obstacle discouraging international investors from coming to Ukraine is “the security situation and the Russian aggression toward Ukraine.”

He said a lot will depend on how Russia implements the Minsk agreements to de-escalate the conflict in eastern Ukraine, noting that these agreements had been supported by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande.