Ukraine parliament approves new government

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk (2nd R) speaks to newly appointed ministers during a parliament session in Kiev December 2, 2014.[Photo/Agencies]

KIEV, Ukraine - The Ukrainian parliament on Tuesday approved the formation of a new cabinet which includes political veterans, new faces and several foreign technocrats who were recently granted Ukrainian citizenship.

The 20-member cabinet, approved with 288 votes in favor, will be led by Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk, a 40-year-old pro-West politician who has served as prime minister since February.

Yatsenyuk, who resigned with his cabinet last month following the Oct. 26 parliamentary election, was later re-appointed prime minister by Poroshenko, and his premiership was approved by the parliament on Nov. 27.

Many of the ministers in the cabinet retain posts they have held for several months, including Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin and Defense Minister Stepan Poltorakt.

Several foreign technocrats, who were granted Ukrainian citizenship by a presidential decree earlier in the day, were given senior cabinet positions.

Natalia Yaresko, a former US citizen of Ukrainian descent, become the finance minister, and Aivaras Abromavicius, a former Lithuanian national, took charge of the ministry of economic development and trade. Alexander Kvitashvili, a former Georgian citizen, became the health minister.

The lawmakers also approved the formation of the ministry of information policy, which was led by former journalist Yury Stets.

The previous Ukrainian cabinet resigned last month following the Oct. 26 parliamentary election. Facing a separatist movement in the country's east, the new government is tasked with reviving an economy burdened with a free fall in its currency and the soaring borrowing costs.