Azarov has no Austrian passport, nor property or assets in this country, says spokesman

17:14, 04.02.2014 1 min read

The press secretary for former Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov, Vitaliy Lukianenko, has denied reports that Azarov has Austrian citizenship.

"The information about Mykola Azarov's holding a passport of an Austrian citizen, as well as about his having property and assets on the territory of this country, is untrue," the Web site of the Cabinet of Ministers quoted Lukianenko as saying on Tuesday.

According to him, Azarov demands that the co-chair of the Greens/European Free Alliance group in the European Parliament, Rebecca Harms, who was quoted by media as saying that the ex-premier had an Austrian passport, either provide evidence, or retract her statement and present her apologies. Otherwise, the ex-premier will file a libel lawsuit.

Meanwhile, a few minutes ago Azarov wrote on his Facebook page: "I have never applied to any European state to grant me a passport. Therefore, I officially state that the information that is being published about me in the media is a lie."