By Giwa SHILE
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Wednesday said he expected the Council of the EU to approve another package of Macro-Financial Assistance (MFA) for Ukraine worth 1 billion Euros (1.18 billion dollars) in the near future.
Earlier in the day, the European Parliament backed a new loan for Ukraine to help the country cover part of its financing needs in 2018 to 2019.
The Council of the EU is expected to approve the funding on June 26.
“I am grateful to all the friends of Ukraine in the European Parliament and European institutions for unity in supporting Ukraine.
“It is another evidence of our real progress on the track of reforms. Looking forward to swift adoption of the final decision of the EU Council,’’ Poroshenko said in a statement on his official Twitter account.
In early March, the European Commission adopted a proposal for the fourth consecutive MFA programme for Ukraine worth 1 billion Euros following a request by the Ukrainian authorities.
The new loan will be given in two portions over 2.5 years, provided that Ukraine adopts certain policy measures.
