OREANDA-NEWS. February 12, 2015. Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk has expressed hope that within 48 hours the talks with the International Monetary Fund will be completed. There are still a few outstanding issues, including the issue concerning the reform of the energy sector. The Head of the Government said this at an enlarged meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on Wednesday, February 11, with the participation of President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Volodymyr Hroysman, the heads of the regional state administrations.

Arseniy Yatsenyuk has emphasized that the President of Ukraine did a lot in order to make negotiations with the IMF effective. Arseniy Yatsenyuk has thanked Minister of Finance Natalia Jaresko, Social Policy Minister Pavlo Rozenko and the whole Government for taking part in the negotiations: "The talks are not easy, because no one gives money anyone for no particular reason."

The Prime Minister has stressed that last year Ukraine fulfilled all the criteria set by international creditors. He has noted that the reforms are "not just about abolishing taxes, increasing wages and reducing the retirement age: "The reforms are about laying the foundation, so that the country has shifted to the new economic future, and those who can – should get a possibility. And those who are unable, should be supported by the state."

"The amount of work done needs unity and solidarity not only between the President, the Government and the Parliament’s leadership, but especially within the Parliament," Arseniy Yatsenyuk emphasized.

The Prime Minister appealed to the MPs of Ukraine: "Now there is no election campaign in local authorities. Now it is about the survival of the state. And the parliamentary coalition, which has been developed on the European principles of reform and change, responsibility to the country - should take with the Government that has been formed by this parliamentary coalition, the responsibility for the adoption of urgent and necessary laws that are part of our package of reforms introduced during negotiations with the IMF and international creditors."