REUTERS
The move is in line with Washington's requirement as regards the provision of defense assistance to Kyiv.
The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, has passed bill No. 9122 to amend certain legislative acts regarding the procurement of products, works and services for defense purposes.
A total of 234 out of the 339 lawmakers registered in the session hall backed the draft law in the first reading, an UNIAN correspondent reported on December 20.
Introducing the bill, Ukrainian MP, Secretary of the Verkhovna Rada National Security and Defense Committee Ivan Vinnyk said the U.S. budget for 2019 provided for $250 million in "support for Ukraine by financing security and defense programs provided to Ukraine, including by transferring equipment, weapons, ammunition for the Ukrainian army."
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At the same time, he added that the condition set by U.S. partners is that Ukraine's defense ministry be authorized to get such products directly, without the mediation of [the Ukrainian state-run military-industrial concern] Ukroboronprom's special exporters.
"In addition, we've received a letter of unequivocal content from the U.S. Embassy, where they propose that the Verkhovna Rada pass appropriate amendments to the legislation as soon as possible in order to allow the defense ministry and its minister to sign relevant foreign economic contracts and receive such products directly," the MP said.
The draft law on state control over international transfers of military goods and dual-use products stipulates that state customers, under state defense orders, are authorized to import military goods and goods containing highly classified information by decision of the Cabinet of Ministers.
The amendments are also introduced to the law on foreign economic activity and the Economic Code of Ukraine to include the state customers for the state defense orders in the list of entity engaged in foreign economic activities.