Poroshenko sees creation of Anti-Corruption Court as priority in 2018

Ukraine's priorities in 2018 are privatization, deregulation, improvement of legislation on national security, and the creation of the Anti-Corruption Court, President Petro Poroshenko has said.

He said this at an annual meeting with the heads of diplomatic missions of foreign states and international organizations accredited in Ukraine in Kyiv on January 16, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"In 2018, our priorities in reforms are no less ambitious - privatization, deregulation, improving investment climate, national bureau on financial security, tax on withdrawn capital, liberal legislation on currency, further improvement of tender legislation and energy sector, and legislation on national security," Poroshenko said.

In addition, this year's priorities include the creation of the Anti-Corruption Court. Poroshenko said that the establishment of the court would be launched in 2018 and added that for the sake of the successful adoption of the bill on the Anti-Corruption Court, he invited all "to work constructively within democratic parliamentary procedures."

He also added that after the first reading of the respective draft law, there would be time to improve the bill in order to make this institution work as effectively as possible.

At the same time, Poroshenko said that the Anti-Corruption Court would become the last and decisive element of a new anti-corruption architecture in Ukraine.

As reported, on December 22, 2017, President Petro Poroshenko tabled in the Verkhovna Rada bill No. 7440 "On the High Anti-Corruption Court."

The draft law is aimed at determining fundamental principles of the organization and activities of this court and special requirements for the judges of this court and guarantees of their activity. In particular, the document provides that in order to appoint a judge to the High Anti-Corruption Court, a citizen, in addition to serving as a judge/lawyer and being engaged in scientific activity, must have a significant experience of work in international nongovernmental organizations or international judicial institutions in the sphere of law on preventing and fighting corruption, etc.

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