Germany, France Urge New Ukrainian Government To Act On Reforms

Germany and France have urged new Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Hroysman to quickly implement economic reforms and the Minsk agreements on regulating the conflict with Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.

French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel passed on the message to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in a phone call on April 15.

"The new dynamic created by the change in government must translate into rapid and concrete results," according to a statement from the French presidential office issued after the telephone call.

The parliament in Ukraine approved Hroysman and his cabinet on April 14 in a bid to end months of political uncertainly and unlock vital foreign aid.

Hroysman replaces the embattled Arseniy Yatsenyuk in the most significant government shake-up since a pro-Western leadership took power in Ukraine following the ouster of President Viktor Yanukovych, a Kremlin ally, in 2014.

On April 14, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden congratulated Hroysman on his new post and echoed Merkel and Hollande by calling on him to quickly implement reforms.

Based on reporting by AFP and Interfax