President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky held consultations with the leadership of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) and financial market players on the candidacy of the new NBU governor on Thursday.

The press service of the head of state reported that in particular, the president met with the deputy governors of the National Bank, the heads of state-owned and private banks, as well as the leadership of banking organizations and institutions.

The meetings were attended by Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal, Head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak, his Deputy Yulia Kovaliv, Minister of Finance Serhiy Marchenko, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Tax and Customs Policy Danylo Hetmantsev.

"During the negotiations, the parties discussed in detail the situation in the state's financial sector and the possible impact of Yakiv Smolii's letter of resignation from the post of NBU governor on the banking market. Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated commitment to the principle of central bank’s independence and the need to preserve its institutional capacity," the press service said.

"An independent National Bank is a guarantee of macroeconomic stability of the state and the welfare of Ukrainians. Therefore, as President, I will protect the independence of the NBU under any leadership as a basis for financial and macroeconomic stability of our state," Zelensky said.

The parties also discussed possible candidacies for the post of the new governor of the NBU, the press service reported.