“It’s not a secret that a number of branches has been in decline as contraband in import has flown in huge torrents through the state border,” Premier of Ukraine explained and added that the customs officers make big work protecting the border and national manufacturer. Yulia Tymoshenko thanked to the State Customs Service for the activity and congratulated on the professional holiday.

“Steady tendency of raising of the rates of production positively influences the state of labour market,” Yulia Tymoshenko imparted. She was heard as saying that according to recent indices the number of unemployed in Ukraine has dropped by 17% as compared to the respective period of the last year.

A working lunch of Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko with the president of the Republic of Latvia Valdis Zatlers will take place on June 25.

On June 19, 2008 Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko stayed with a working visit to the European institutions in Brussels, the Kingdom of Belgium. According to the agenda of the visit Prime Minister met with Secretary General of the Council of European Union, High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana, Vice President of Eurocommission Günter Verheugen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Sweden Fredrik Reinfeldt, Prime Minister of Belgium Ives Leterme, Prime Minister of Italy Sylvio Berlusconi.

The statement was made by EPP President Wilfred Martens during a joint briefing with Tymoshenko in Brussels. “On behalf of the EPP I would like to express our solidarity for the course being taken by Mrs. Tymoshenko’s government,” said Martens. According to him, the EPP also “wants to support Mrs. Tymoshenko as the leader of the democratic coalition.” “We support this pro-reform and pro-European government and its anti-corruption and privatization program,” added Martens.

Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko stressed that all the directive she received from President Viktor Yushchenko for her working visit to Brussels have been fulfilled. According to a correspondent from UNIAN, she stated this during a press conference in Brussels following the European People’s Party (EPP) summit. “This was a working visit to Brussels along with participation in the EPP summit. And for the working visit I received directives from the President, which have been fully executed,” said Tymoshenko.

Premier Yulia Tymoshenko believes that President Yushchenko should make an effort to preserve the democratic coalition. She stated this during an interview with Ukrayinska Pravda and Interfax-Ukraine in Brussels. “I’m convinced that the democratic coalition will be preserved. There are some complications and I think that the President and his part of the democratic coalition will resolve them,” she said.

PM of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko held in Brussels meetings with Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Sweden Fredrik Reinfeldt, Prime Minister of Belgium Ives Leterme, Prime Minister of Italy Sylvio Berlusconi. The meetings were held within the frames of a working visit of Yulia Tymoshenko to the European institutions.

Vice President of Eurocommission Günter Verheugen admits that Yulia Tymoshenko has made significant progress in economic sphere. Vice President of the European Commission said at a briefing in Brussels on the results of the meeting with Prime Minister of Ukraine. Günter Verheugen stressed that Ukraine is an exceedingly important partner for the European Union in terms of economic cooperation. “We are concerned in future development of our relations and I admit that Ms Tymoshenko has achieved significant progress from the point of view of Ukraine’s economy development,” he noted.

Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko views that biased statements of the Secretariat of the President in terms of inflation in Ukraine don’t add to the improvement of economic situation. The Head of Ukraine’s Government announced answering the questions of journalists in Brussels on the results of the meeting with Secretary General of the Council of European Union, High Representative of Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana.

Secretary General of the Council of European Union, High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana congratulates the Government of Ukraine with an effective work on curbing inflation. He announced in an interview for the journalists on the outcomes of a meeting with Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko which took place in Brussels. According to Javier Solana in the issues of economic policy Ukraine is moving extremely positively while the Government demonstrates rather high showings of economic growth. In his opinion, such a phenomenon as inflation is under control in Ukraine.

“Our goal is not only to report the theft by the Yanukovych government. We need to force them to return the 10.2 billion hryvnia – this is a huge amount, which can be used to reform the sectors that were left in a state of stagnation after their management,” added the Premier. “My goal is for everyone guilty of misusing the 10.2 billion hryvnia to be held responsible. The fact that officials from the previous government and previous ten years were never punished gives the sense that the country can be robbed with impunity,” noted Tymoshenko.