Ukrainian Parliament Approves New Cabinet, Three Foreigners as Ministers

The Ukrainian parliament has approved the nomination of three foreigners – US-born Natalie Jaresko as finance minister, Georgian-born Aleksandr Kvitashvili as health minister and Lithuanian-born Aivaras Abromavicius as economy minister.

KIEV, December 2 (Sputnik) – The Ukrainian parliament has voted Tuesday to approve the new cabinet of ministers of Ukraine.

The new government has approved by 288 votes in favor, with the minimum of 226 votes necessary for the motion to pass.

Interior Minister Arsen Avakov, Foreign Minister Pavlo Klymkin and Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak have retained their posts in the new cabinet.

The parliament has also approved the nomination of three foreign technocrats – US-born Natalie Jaresko as finance minister, Georgian-born Aleksandr Kvitashvili as health minister and Lithuanian-born Aivaras Abromavicius as economy minister.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has granted them Ukrainian citizenship earlier in the day.

Gennady Zubkov, the first deputy chief of staff of the Ukrainian president, was appointed as vice prime minister and minister of regional development, construction and housing and communal service. Vyacheslav Kirilenko, member of parliament from the National Front party, was appointed as vice prime minister and minister of culture.

Arsen Avakov retained his post as the minister of internal affairs, and Pavlo Petrenko – as the minister of justice.

The parliament also approved Vladimir Demchishin, head of the National Commission, carrying out state regulation in the areas of energy and utilities, as minister of energy and coal industry.

After the vote, the new government was sworn in. The prime minister officially announced the beginning of the new government's work.