«I want to remain involved in addressing these issues,» Kim stated that, following his appointment to the Government, he would not be resigning from his seat on the Mykolaiv City Council

Kim has stated that he will not be resigning from his seat on the Mykolaiv City Council. Photo: NikVesti

The newly appointed Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Vitalii Kim, has stated that following his move from the post of Head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration, he does not plan to resign from his seat on the Mykolaiv City Council.

He announced this during his final press conference as head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration, according to NikVesti.

«As for my seat on the council, I’m staying on for now. As long as I have the opportunity to participate in Mykolaiv’s political life. For me, this is, first and foremost, a disciplinary duty,» said Vitalii Kim.

During the press conference, journalists pointed out that the Mykolaiv City Territorial Electoral Commission is effectively not functioning. As a result, over the years of full-scale war, councillors who resigned early have not been replaced by newly elected representatives. Kim was asked whether, whilst remaining in the Mykolaiv region and retaining his parliamentary seat, he planned to help resolve this situation.

«That is a matter for the city council’s secretariat. Speaking for myself, I want to remain a councillor so that I can stay involved in Mykolaiv’s issues, help out and, quite frankly, ensure that the work of the Mykolaiv City Council is carried out in a more disciplined manner. That is my personal motivation,» he explained.

In addition, Vitalii Kim stated that, following his departure from the post of head of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration, he would continue to support the region and work on the «South 2.0» economic strategy.

The day before, Vitalii Kim also promised to champion the interests of the Mykolaiv region during the allocation of state budget funds. He stated that the implementation of projects already underway would continue, and that support for the region should increase.

It should be recalled that the Verkhovna Rada appointed Vitalii Kim as Minister for Veterans’ Affairs. Prior to this, he had headed the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration since November 2020. Heorhii Reshetilov has been appointed acting head of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration.