Petro Poroshenko

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Petro Poroshenko
Петро Порошенко
File:Petro Poroshenko, Head of Council, National Bank of Ukraine , at Horasis Global Russia Business Meeting 2010.jpg
Petro Poroshenko at Horasis Global Russia Business Meeting 2010[1]
10th Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine
In office
October 9, 2009 – March 11, 2010
Preceded byVolodymyr Khandohiy
Succeeded byKostyantyn Hryshchenko
Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine
In office
February 2005 – September 2005
People's Deputy of Ukraine
In office
1998 – September 2007
Personal details
Born (1965-09-26) September 26, 1965 (age 58)
Bolhrad, Odessa Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
SpouseMaryna (born 1962)[2]
ChildrenOlexiy (born 1985), Yevheniya and Oleksandra (born 2000) and Mykhaylo (born 2001)[2]

Petro Oleksiyovych Poroshenko (Ukrainian: Петро Олексійович Порошенко; born September 26, 1965) is a Ukrainian businessman and politician (former Minister for Foreign Affair) sometimes cited as one of the most influential people in Ukrainian politics.[2]

Poroshenko heads the Council of Ukraine's National Bank.[2][3][4]

Early life

Petro Poroshenko was in born in the city of Bolhrad, Odessa Oblast, in Ukraine. In 1989, he graduated with a degree in economics from the faculty of international relations and international law (subsequently Institute of International Reations) of the Kiev State University.

Business career

After graduation, Poroshenko started his own business selling cacao beans. In 1990s, he acquired control over several confectionery enterprises. Subsequently, he united his holdings in that indutstry into Roshen group, the largest confectionery manufacturer in Ukraine. The fortunes he made in the chocolate industry earned him a nickname a Chocolate King.

Now Poroshenko's business empire also includes several car and bus plants, Leninska Kuznya shipyard, a 5 kanal[5] television channel as well as other businesses.

Political career

Poroshenko first won a seat in Verkhovna Rada (the Parliament of Ukraine) in 1998. He was initially a member of United Social Democratic Party of Ukraine (SDPU(o)), the most loyal to president Leonid Kuchma political party at the time. Poroshenko left SDPU(o) in 2000 to create an independent left-of-center faction Solidarity, in 2001 Poroshenko was instrumental in creating Party of Regions, also loyal to Kuchma (Solidarity never joined Party of Regions however).[6] However, in December 2001 he broke ranks with Kuchma supporters to become campaign chief of Viktor Yushchenko's opposition bloc Our Ukraine. After parliamentary elections in March 2002 in which Our Ukraine won the biggest share of the popular vote and Poroshenko a seat in parliament,[7] Poroshenko served as head of the parliamentary budget committee.

Poroshenko is considered a close confidant of Viktor Yushchenko who is a god-father of Poroshenko's daughters. Being probably the wealthiest businessman among Yushchenko supporters, Poroshenko was often cited as one of the chief sponsors of Our Ukraine and the Orange Revolution.

After Viktor Yushchenko won the presidential elections in 2004, Poroshenko was appointed Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council. Amid the September 2005 political crisis in Ukraine that followed the highly publicized mutual allegations of corruption in Ukrainian politics, Poroshenko was dismissed by the president[2] who at the same time sacked the entire cabinet of ministers led by prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, Poroshenko's political arch-rival in post-Orange Revolution Ukraine.

In March 2006 parliamentary election Poroshenko was re-elected to the Ukrainian parliament through the list of Our Ukraine electoral bloc. He chaired the parliamentary Committee on the Finance and Banking. Allegedly since Poroshenko claimed to post of Chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament for himself the Socialist Party of Ukraine choose to be part of the Alliance of National Unity because they promised their party leader, Oleksandr Moroz, would be elected Chairman if that coalition would be formed.[2] This left Poroshenko's Our Ukraine and their ally Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc out of the Government.

Poroshenko did not run in the September 2007 parliamentary election.

Since February 2007 Poroshenko heads the Council of Ukraine's National Bank.[2][3]

10th Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

Ukrainian President Yushchenko nominated Poroshenko for foreign minister on October 7, 2009.[3][8] Poroshenko was appointed by the Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine's parliament) on October 9, 2009.[9][10] On October 12, 2009 President Yushchenko (re)appointed Poroshenko into the National Security and Defense Council.[11]

Poroshenko supports Ukrainian NATO-membership and stated in December 2009 "I believe that with a political will and a public wish to do so, public support for politicians in charge, and a clear and right awareness policy, becoming a NATO member could be accomplished within a year or two". However he also stated NATO membership should not be a goal in itself "Our goal must be conducting reforms, improving living standards. I believe that here we must do everything to improve the situation in the country rather than obtain somebody's permission for some actions".[12]

Although dismissed on March 11, 2010 as foreign minister President Viktor Yanukovych expressed hope for further cooperation with Poroshenko.[5]

References

  1. ^ Horasis Global Russia Business Meeting 2010
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Template:Ru icon Biography, Korrespondent
  3. ^ a b c Regions Party not to vote for Poroshenko’s appointment Ukraine’s foreign minister, Kyiv Post (October 8, 2009)
  4. ^ Hryvnia exchange rate could strengthen, says NBU Council head, Interfax-Ukraine (March 16, 2011)
  5. ^ a b Poroshenko is not going to sell Channel 5 TV, Kyiv Post (May 23, 2010)
  6. ^ New «region» formed in Ukrainian Parliament, Central European University (March 26, 2001)
  7. ^ Results of voting in single-mandate constituencies, Central Election Commission of Ukraine
  8. ^ Ukrainian president proposes Petro Poroshenko for foreign minister, Interfax-Ukraine (October 7, 2009)
  9. ^ Rada appoints Poroshenko Ukraine's foreign minister, Interfax-Ukraine (October 9, 2009)
  10. ^ By 240 out of 440 MPs registered in the session hall. In particular, 151 MPs of the Bloc of Yulia Tymoshenko faction, 63 of the Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense Bloc, 20 members of the Bloc of Volodymyr Lytvyn, one deputy of the Party of Regions, one member of the Communist Party faction and four deputies not belonging to any faction voted for the nomination.
  11. ^ Poroshenko put on Ukraine's NSCD, Kyiv Post (October 12, 2009)
  12. ^ Poroshenko: Ukraine could join NATO in 1-2 years, with political, public will, Kyiv Post (December 4, 2009)

External links

Template:Persondata

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