Constitutional reform to restore balance of power in Ukraine, says premier

15:29, 22.04.2014 1 min read

The Ukrainian constitutional reform is aimed at ensuring the balance of power by giving greater independence to the regions, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk said.

"We are doing the constitutional reform not for the sake of complying with the Geneva agreements (of April 17), let alone in response to Russia's demands. The constitutional reform in our country is a path towards restoring the balance of power. This is the demand of the Ukrainian people," Yatseniuk told a press conference held jointly with U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden in Kyiv on Tuesday.

As part of the reform, the central government is to allow the regions to pursue an independent fiscal and financial policy, and provide a special status for national minorities and their languages, including Russia, Yatseniuk said. "And to ensure that every Ukrainian can influence both central and local authorities," the prime minister added.