Ambassador of the European Union to Ukraine, Matti Maasikas, discussed anti-corruption efforts with Oleksandr Klymenko, the newly appointed SAPO head.

"Great meeting with the newly appointed Specialized Anti-corruption Prosecutor Oleksandr Klymenko. Discussed the importance of continuing anti-corruption efforts and the EU's support to SAPO. Fight against corruption helps Ukraine's resilience and facilitates the road towards the EU," Maasikas wrote on Twitter.

Great meeting with the newly appointed Specialized Anti-corruption Prosecutor Oleksandr Klymenko. Discussed the importance of continuing anti-corruption efforts and EU´s support to SAPO. Fight against corruption helps Ukraine´s resilience and facilitates the road towards 🇪🇺 pic.twitter.com/T2ytsS3waa

— Matti Maasikas (@MattiMaasikas) August 18, 2022

To maintain EU candidate status, Kyiv had to appoint the already selected in the competition head of the SAPO and hold a competition to elect the head of NABU.

The appointment of Oleksandr Klymenko to the SAPO head, which had been vacant for about two years, was welcomed by the G7 ambassadors and by the ambassadors of the USA, the UK, and the EU.

By appointing Oleksandr Klymenko as the SAPO head, Ukraine fulfilled one of the requirements of the European Commission, linked to Ukraine's candidate status for joining the EU.