EU says no donors' conference for Ukraine until government delivers

(KIEV) - EU neighbourhood commissioner Johannes Hahn said Friday that Ukraine's new government "needs to deliver" on reforms before it can expect a donors' conference to be held.

Brussels has repeatedly postponed plans for a donors' meeting to help Ukraine's crippled economy and Hahn said no date would be fixed until the EU had seen "sound proposals about a roadmap for reforms and first tangible results".

"Is it January, is it in February -- the speed is defined by the government," said Hahn, who was wrapping up a two-day visit to Kiev in which he met with political leaders.

He outlined a "joint to-do list" of vital reforms including attacking corruption, reforming the judiciary and civil service, and reorganising the energy sector.

"This new government will need to swiftly get to work on the concrete implementation of reforms," said Hahn, who recently took over as head of the EU's neighbourhood policy and enlargement team.

"The voters expect this, the international community whose support Ukraine needs expects this, and it would be the strongest possible signal that any efforts to destabilise Ukraine are in vein."

The EU and international lenders have already provided billions of euros in loans and grants since a revolution overthrew a pro-Russian government in February, sparking a separatist war in the east and a deep economic crisis.

Hahn said he expected the next tranche of loans -- some 500 million euros ($625 million) -- to be made available "very soon".

But he added the emphasis should be on reducing Ukraine's reliance on borrowing and hand-outs.

"There is increasing mutual understanding that we should speak less about the donor's conference and more about reforms and investments," he said.

"It's also about the self-confidence of the country. If you are a recipient (of aid) it is something different than if you are the address of investors."