Ukraine expects next IMF mission under EFF late in May – finance minister
An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission for the first review of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) program, after which Ukraine may be given the second tranche of the program in the amount of SDR 1.182 billion (about $1.63 billion), is expected to arrive in Ukraine late in May, Ukrainian Finance Minister Natalie Jaresko said.
"We've fulfilled all our preliminary commitments and are now meeting all the current obligations under our program," she said when opening a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, while commenting on the outcome of a visit of a Ukrainian delegation to a spring meeting of the IMF and the World Bank.
A number of additional measures and reforms should be implemented for the first review of the program, in particular, Ukraine should agree with its private external creditors on the restructuring of sovereign and government-backed debts, she said.
"We expect an agreement will be reached with creditors, we expect a constructive approach so that the creditors will be cooperative with us," she said.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk, who was also present at the Cabinet meeting, called on the parliamentary coalition to demonstrate a constructive approach towards its work and pass all the bills necessary for cooperation with the IMF.
"I hope that all these bills [needed for the review of the program with the IMF] will be passed before the mission arrives. It's not even a hope, it's confidence, as there is no other way out," he said.