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Hollande, Merkel hope Ukraine's new gov't engage rapid, concrete reform

Xinhua, April 15, 2016 Adjust font size:

French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday were hopeful the new Ukrainian government would put rapid reforms in place to modernize the country and ensure its stability.

During phone talks with Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko, both European leaders expressed their full support for the refreshed executive team in Kiev.

"It is necessary that the new momentum created by the government reshuffle results in rapid and concrete results," they said in a statement released by Hollande's office.

Hollande and Merkel also "encouraged Ukrainian authorities to accelerate domestic reforms, in the continuity of significant actions taken since 2014, and mainly to modernize the country, fight against corruption, and reform the justice field."

Besides, they urged for progress in the full implementation of the Minsk peace deal with a major focus on security, the release of prisoners, and organization of elections in eastern Ukraine to peacefully end the crisis. Endit