Poroshenko thanks businessmen for ‘unprecedented’ openness to cooperation

The head of state said this at the annual meeting of the members of the European Business Association, the press service of the president reported.

"Remember how difficult it was to take the first steps? How difficult it was to reduce the tax burden on wages, reduce the unified social tax? And to take a risky step and support the pensioners, because we cannot say that everything is alright in the country when pensions are rising the least. We must be a balanced country," he said.

Poroshenko also thanked for the "unique trust built between the president, the prime minister, the government and our foreign partners" and separately noted the efforts of Head of the EU Delegation Hugues Mingarelli who made a tremendous contribution to the development of our reforms.

The head of state also appreciated the efforts of Prime Ministers of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman and Arseniy Yatsenyuk given that over these four years, the line of reforms we have taken from the outset is maintained. "We do not have a poison or a cancer of populism. We are trying to make real reforms, unpopular reforms, but everyone clearly understands that treatment and medicine should be bitter in order to reach the final result," he added.

“I am grateful for the unique support of the EBA. We have learnt to find compromises,” Poroshenko said. According to him, when the Ukrainian Government puts forward certain initiatives, business demonstrates willingness to reach a compromise.

Petro Poroshenko wishes that trust, transparency of communication and effectiveness of cooperation with the European Business Association will not be worse next year.

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