President says bridging gap between rich and poor an important task for government

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has said that bridging the gap between rich and poor, including through the creation of jobs with decent wages, is a task for the government, reads a statement posted on the official Web site of the head of state.

Yanukovych said this at a meeting with candidates for the posts of heads of district state administrations on Wednesday.

"We need to reduce the enormous gap that currently exists between rich and poor by meeting the wishes of the poor and creating conditions so that healthy people have the opportunity to work, and those who are no longer able to do so can get reliable social protection," he said.

Yanukovych said that every citizen should be able to earn enough money to provide for a decent life, their family's welfare, and the upbringing of their children.

While addressing the candidates, the president said: "You will face a very difficult task - to create such conditions for everyone."