The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, has approved the appointment of Petro Poroshenko as Ukraine's new foreign minister.

This decision was supported by 240 out of 440 MPs registered in the session hall. In particular, 151 MPs of the Bloc of Yulia Tymoshenko faction, 63 of the Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense Bloc, 20 members of the Bloc of Volodymyr Lytvyn, one MP of the Regions Party, one member of the Communist Party faction and four MPs not belonging to any faction voted for the nomination.

Poroshenko has taken his oath of office in parliament.

On October 7 Ukrainian President Viktor Yuschenko nominated Poroshenko, the head of the National Bank's Council, to the post of foreign minister.

Poroshenko, born in 1965, is a graduate of the International Affairs and International Law Department of Kyiv National University. He was member of the Verkhovna Rada in 1998-2005. In 2005 he was Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council.

Since February 2007, Poroshenko has been heading the Council of the National Bank of Ukraine.