Security Council to tackle drought

The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine will soon convene to tackle problems caused by last month’s severe drought in Ukraine, President Victor Yushchenko said on Tuesday during a short meeting with the leaders of the Mykolayiv region, president's press office informed.

The president pledged to help the regions hit by the drought when visiting the village of Dolynska (Kirovograd region) and Snigurivka (Mykolayiv region). “The state will not leave you face-to-face with these problems,” he said in a speech to farmers. “We must together resolve this crisis and find a mechanism to help the affected farms.”

Yushchenko said the cabinet of ministers had adopted a resolution on June 4 to minimize the negative impact of the drought and make sure Ukraine has enough grain in 2007, and promised to take other “effective measures.”