One in the field but without shield

       Last week the Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine, Aivaras Abromavičius, announced his resign. Such statement should not be ignored by the Ukrainian government. This situations shows it is not enough to appoint some “bribe-free” ministers waiting until they combat corruption. The entire system must be changed. Altogether with the people from old system, whose time has passed. They have to leave. They simply should not have power to block reforms aimed to create new transparent and efficient system. And all of this in the hands of the Ukrainian government.

Aspirations of Mikheil Saakashvili

Two years has passed since the Euromaidan but current Ukrainian government still struggle with delivering positive results in the reformation of the corrupted system. Appointing former president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili to the position of the Governor of Odesa Oblast’ (region) has brought hopes for the fast and efficient anti-corruption reforms in the largest region of Ukraine. However, the complicated division of power and influence in Ukraine make it difficult. Shall Mr. Saakashvili create his own political party and become next Prime Minister of Ukraine? There is no rumor of such aspiration. However, there would be a great support for him from Ukrainians.

Visa liberation for Ukraine and Georgia

      The year 2015 ended with the good news regarding the visa free travel to the European Union for the Ukraine and Georgia. Soon the citizens of these countries will be able to travel without visa to EU countries, excluding Ireland and UK, and to four countries of Schengen associated countries – Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and Lichtenstein. The EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship remarked the hard work of Ukrainian and Georgian governments in fulfilling the necessary requirements for the visa liberation.

Mikheil Saakashvili is still Georgian, even without a citizenship

   Georgia’s former President Mikheil Saakashvili has been stripped of his Georgian citizenship. The President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, appointed M. Saakashvili to be governor of the Odessa region in May 2015. Mikheil Saakashvili commented the news from Georgia:

 “By fighting for the Ukrainian statehood, we help Georgia. Striping me of the Georgian citizenship, Russian oligarch, Ivanishvili, is taken the control over my country. But he is not able to change the history of my country”.

   M. Saakashvili was the President of Georgia in 2004-2013. During his presidency Georgia was successfully reformed, in particular in anti-corruption, ease of doing business and privatization areas.