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One on one with Odessa governor Saakashvili

PR dla Zagranicy
Roberto Galea 14.08.2015 14:24
  • A surprise appointment
The appointment of former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili to the post of governor of the Ukrainian Black Sea port city of Odessa in May took many by surprise. In this exclusive interview for Radio Poland, Saakashvili discusses the situation in Ukraine and the Ukrainian-Russian conflict.
Mikheil Saakashvili. Photo: Flickr.com/European People's PartyMikheil Saakashvili. Photo: Flickr.com/European People's Party

Despite controversy surrounding the staunchly pro-Western former Georgian president who once fought a war against Russia, the decision taken by Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko had been received as Kiev's clear signal addressed to the Kremlin that Ukraine will not allow its right to administer the strategic Black Sea coastal region to be questioned, much less interfered with by Russia.

Also, that Ukraine is set on continuing its policies connected with the country's European aspirations.

The new Odessa governor has announced a series of bold moves aimed at preserving the region's sovereignty, territorial integrity and securing peace but above all fighting widespread corruption among the administration - a legacy passed on by former Ukrainian post-communist elites.

“The pendulum is going in one direction, it will take time before it passes the zero point but then it will go further. The main thing is to reverse the pendulum,” says Mikheil Saakashvili in an interview with Radio Poland's Aleksander Papko.

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