By KYIV. Nov 4 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Head of the Ukrainian President’s Office Andriy Yermak said Ukraine is showing the world an example of a state that not only repels an attack by an aggressor during a war, but also does everything possible to join international anti-corruption organizations and comply with international standards in this sector.
According to the presidential press service, Yermak held a meeting of the working group on developing proposals for Ukraine’s participation in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions. He said Ukraine has made great efforts to obtain membership in the OECD Working Group.
According to Yermak, Ukraine has one of the most developed anti-corruption infrastructures, fully prepared to investigate bribery in international business transactions.
"We are working on a recovery plan, we need investments. And there will be investments if everyone is sure that this whole structure of ours works and we are fully responsible, and that our foreign investors can feel completely protected," the President’s Office head said.
Yermak said that for Ukraine, joining anti-corruption organizations is related not only to an institutional issue, but also to the development of the state.
Deputy Head of the President’s Office Andriy Smyrnov briefed about the progress of the Working Group since the previous meeting. According to him, a wide public discussion regarding the importance of the Working Group in the fight against corrupt influences, as well as a meeting with representatives of the diplomatic corps were held.
It is also reported the meeting participants heard information about the work of the Ukrainian delegation at the meeting of the OECD Working Group in Paris. In particular, a number of bilateral meetings were held in order to inform foreign colleagues about the legislative developments of Ukraine and exchange experience in the fight against corruption.
In addition, the meeting of the working group discussed legislative proposals on improving criminal liability for bribing officials of foreign states and changing the approach to the issue of taxation.
Chair of the OECD Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions Drago Kos, who took part in the meeting via video conference, highly praised the work of the Ukrainian delegation at the Working Group meeting held in Paris. He said our country received a questionnaire on joining the OECD Working Group, which consists of legal and economic parts.
Polina Lysenko, a member of the Working Group, noted that a response to the questionnaire on joining the OECD Working Group has been prepared. The comments and suggestions of representatives of state authorities are taken into account.
Summing up, Andriy Yermak called on the representatives of the Working Group to promptly submit the filled-in questionnaire to the OECD Secretariat.
