Lithuanian president welcomes Ukraine's anti-corruption law revised after criticism

VILNIUS - Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on Thursday welcomed the new anti-corruption law adopted in Ukraine on Thursday at the suggestion of President Volodymyr Zelensky.

As BNS reported earlier, it amends the law which last week limited the autonomy of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) under the direct authority of the prosecutor general, who is appointed by the president.

"Congratulations to the President of Ukraine and the Verkhovna Rada on the adoption of the new anti-corruption law today. The law guarantees the independence of NABU&SAPO and empowers these agencies to operate effectively. It is a truly important step - and the right thing to do. It is a victory in the fight against corruption," the Lithuanian leader said on X.

The new law was adopted by the Ukrainian parliament after 331 MPs voted in favor of Zelensky's new proposal and nine abstained.

Kyiv's allies in Europe were concerned that the law adopted on July 22 would undermine anti-corruption reforms that are key to Ukraine's bid to join the European Union.

Prior amendments sparked the biggest public protests in Ukraine since the Russian invasion in 2022. In the face of opposition, Zelensky backed down from his initial proposal, acknowledging that more dialogue was needed before the law was adopted.

The EU said on Thursday that the Ukrainian parliament had addressed key concerns about the independence of the agencies by approving the new law.

Transparency International ranked Ukraine 105th out of 180 countries in its Corruption Perceptions Index 2024, up from 144th in 2013.