OREANDA-NEWS. January 06, 2014. Prime Minister Mykola Azarov congratulated specialists of the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on the New Year and Christmas, noting the major achievements of 2013.

Mykola Azarov named the main achievement of this year that the Government "could keep the economy from recession, make currency and rates stable."

This year was a record, according to the Prime Minister, regarding collected grain, which was harvested about 63 million tons, "Ukraine has not known such yield yet. This is evidence of that we are on the right way of reforms in the agricultural sector. "

Moreover, Mykola Azarov stressed that this year, the second unit of the largest in Europe Dniester PSP was lunched.

The Prime Minister said that we had to take a difficult decision this year: to suspend the Association Agreement with the European Union, "Thereby we have protected Ukraine from collapse. Also we have managed to reach historic agreement with Russia: finally the gas price was reduced that choked our economy, our country. It was possible to negotiate on restoration of full economic and trade relations. It was possible to negotiate on favorable financing for our economy and it makes 2014 - a year of development, production growth of social standards."

Mykola Azarov also noted the successful state visit of President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych to China, during which a number of major strategic agreements on investment and lending was achieved.

"Overall, 2013 was a difficult, but interesting and productive," Mykola Azarov said, expressing hope that 2014 will be better and wished everyone good health, success and optimism.

Finally, Prime Minister awarded best specialists.