Completion of Defense Ministry reform scheduled for 2018
The completion of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's reform is scheduled for 2018, and reform of all defense agencies will be finished in 2019-2020, Ukrainian Defense Minister Stepak Poltorak has said.
"We plan to finish reform of the Defense Ministry in 2018. Civil control over the Armed Forces will be clearly determined, and the defense minister must be a civil person. A secretary of state will be appointed. Functions, tasks, supervision system and responsibility at all levels will be redistributed," he said on Channel 5 TV.
He said that it is planned to finish the creation of a legislative base for the development of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, reform 40% of the ministry's divisions and around 25% of the General Staff by the end of this year.
"We plan to finish reform of the united field headquarters, types of the Armed Forces to meet new structures and tasks," he added.
The minister said that in 2019-2020 all defense management agencies and all divisions will be reformed to suit the existing standard.
"We will end the reform of the Armed Forces by dividing the post of Commander-In-Chief and Head of the General Staff," Poltorak said.
He said that the process is under the schedule, but there are some delays with financing.
