President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has signed a decree appointing former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili as the head of the Odessa Regional State Administration.
‘’In the multinational Odessa region it is necessary for everyone to find their own words," the president said, referring to Saakashvili, and repeated these words in several languages – Ukrainian, Russian, Romanian, Bulgarian.
"To appoint Mikheil Saakashvili as head of the Odessa regional administration,’’ the text of the decree posted on the presidential website says.
Poroshenko stressed that among the tasks of Saakashvili is the fight against corruption, ensuring transparency in the work of the customs and fiscal services, protection of citizens' rights and democracy. In addition, the president thanked Igor Palitza, who had been the head of the Odessa regional administration since May 6, 2014, for stabilizing the situation in the region.
Saakashvili himself on his page on Facebook wrote that he loves Odessa, and posted a link to a video 'Scows full of Mullet', performed by Mark Bernes.
Earlier, the deputy chief of Poroshenko's administration, Valeriy Chaly, told Ukrainian media that Saakashvili could actually take the post of Governor of the Odessa region. "This is the view from the cabinet to the president," Interfax quotes Chaly.
