Poroshenko welcomes Saakashvili plan to organize competitions to fill executive positions

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has met with governor of the Odesa region Mikheil Saakashvili on Saturday to discuss the newly appointed governor's first initiatives.

Poroshenko welcomed Saakashvili's first initiatives, especially the idea of organizing competitions to fill executive positions, noting that this innovation would be backed by the government, the presidential press service reported.

"The prospect of reducing the regional administration staff appeals to me very much. Plans to de-regulate, de-bureaucratize and de-oligarchize the administration is what Odesa and Ukraine expect to be done," the president said.

Saakashvili said he had met with local residents, who highly appraised and supported the president-proposed plan to fight corruption and put an end to the oligarchs' outrages.

Many Ukrainian citizens welcomed Saakashvili's appointment with hope and optimism, Poroshenko said. "I pin great hopes on concrete and swift results of his work, first of all in combating corruption and restoring order," the president said.

Saakashvili's appointment as Odesa regional governor found itself in the limelight abroad.

"To quote the president, the confirmation of Saakashvili's appointment showed the Ukrainian leadership's commitment to carry out reforms, to overcome corruption and to introduce the principles effectively demonstrated by the Georgian authorities," the press service said.