Lucie Rychla
September 15th, 2016

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Denmark has been chosen to lead a 120 million kroner EU project that aims to fight corruption in Ukraine.

The foreign minister, Kristian Jensen, will officially present the initiative in Kiev on Friday.

“Corruption is a substantial challenge in Ukraine – in the daily lives of both businesses and citizens. Corruption damages the growth potential in Ukraine and creates distrust among politicians and institutions,” said Jensen.

“This must be changed, and it requires political will and courage from the Ukrainian leadership. It is encouraging that the fight against corruption is a high priority for the government of Ukraine.”

READ MORE: Denmark ready to fight on two fronts in Ukraine

The best helping the worst
Since the revolution in Kiev in 2014 and the regime change from pro-Russian to pro-European, Denmark has had close contact with the Ukrainian government and helped reform the country’s energy sector.

Denmark contributes 10 million kroner to the EU program, which seeks to strengthen the ability of Ukraine to prevent and combat corruption, strengthen parliamentary supervision and increase the involvement of civil society and media in the area.

Denmark is the least corrupt country in the world – in contrast to Ukraine, which ranks at number 130 and is the most corrupt country in Europe.