As of today, President of Ukraine Victor Yushchenko does not see any other candidacies for the posts of the Foreign Ministry and SBU chiefs except for Volodymyr Ohryzko and Victor Korol.

      He said this in an exclusive interview with UNIAN news agency.

Видео дня

      Victor Yushchenko noted he will insist that appointing the Foreign Minister and the SBU chief is only in the President’s prerogative. Victor Yushchenko stressed that namely the President pursues the foreign policy of the state, and bears responsibility for  security and defense of the country. “That is why the constitutional standard demands, first of all, to form a relevant staff policy, that is why I will insist that it is the President’s personnel policy”, the Head of State said.

      According to him, should the parliament refuse to appoint Ohryzko and Korol, they will be appointed as acting chiefs.

      He emphasized that he does not share the government’s and parliament’s policy on this issue: “I will not back decisions of such a character, which is today demonstrated by the parliament or the Prime Minister”.

      Victor Yushchenko claimed he has no intent to submit other candidacies for the consideration of the parliament, and does not rule out a possibility of a repeat submission.

      The President stressed he would like to hear the explanations of the parliament and the government concerning why they are not satisfied with, in particular, the candidacy of Volodymyr Ohryzko. “This person (V.Ohyrzko), who has been occupying one of the leading places in the Ukrainian diplomacy over the past 10-15 years, a specialist… Why this person, who corresponds to the national interests today, because of any corporate or personal opinion, cannot be appointed to the job”, the President stressed.

      Victor Yushchenko called on all power branches to reach an understanding “at the level of state interests”.