01 December 2015 Statement of Dmitry Firtash 

Statement of Dmitry Firtash, Chairman of the Federation of Employers of Ukraine 

I have decided to postpone my visit to Ukraine. The 10th annual meeting of the Federation of Employers of Ukraine, at which the Plan for the Modernization of Ukraine is due to be discussed and approved, will take place tomorrow on December 2nd. As of today, this is the only viable  plan for the country’s way out of the looming economic collapse.
 
I deeply regret that the current Ukrainian Government has taken unprecedented steps and done everything possible to prevent my return to Ukraine and to undermine the implementation of this plan. This Ukrainian Government has displayed complete inability and incompetence. It has disrupted economic reforms and has led the country to the brink of bankruptcy.
 
It is obvious that this Ukrainian Government is afraid of alternative points of view. It is trying to convince the people that the current catastrophic state of the economy is natural and unavoidable.
 
I declare that Ukraine is capable of returning to the path of prosperity. Ukraine has all the criteria for becoming a rich industrial country. Our 10-year plan for the Modernization of Ukraine would yield significant results for the Ukrainian economy and for the citizens of Ukraine.
 
This Government's leadership has everything to lose if our plan starts working today. They want to continue pursuing personal enrichment and hide behind empty statements about the crisis.
 
People deserve to know that the Plan for the Modernization of Ukraine was developed by leading European experts, Ukrainian academics and business representatives.  Both the trade unions and employers also participated in the development of the plan. This plan unites the interests of business owners, managers and employees. This Government, which does not take into account the interests of businesses and employees, has no future.
 
I believe that the Ukrainian Government’s actions towards me are criminal and I consider them to be political persecution.
 
I am grateful to all the architects of the Plan for the Modernization of Ukraine and I want to assure them that despite all the obstacles I will continue this work and we will achieve our goal.