Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko on Friday called on state employees to praise the country's preparations to host the Euro 2012 football championship, and to keep information about problems in the massive ramp-up away from the general public, according to dpa. "I warn you: not one of you has the right to be a demagogue," the Interfax news agency Friday reported Yushchenko as telling a meeting of top members of the Euro 2012 Coordination Council, the Ukraine agency responsible for getting the country ready to hold its share of the tournament. "Your job is to create a positive atmosphere...not to talk to the press about problems," said Yushchenko, the leader of Ukraine's 2005 pro-democracy revolution. Ukraine and Poland were named by UEFA in May 2007 as co-hosts for the prestigious sports event. However, since then Ukrainian struggles to get ready have been one of the former Soviet republic's hottest political footballs, with senior members of Yushchenko's government openly accusing each other of sabotaging preparations. More cooperation, and less mudslinging by officials is critical right now for Ukraine's international reputation, as well as simply to handle the million-plus visitors expected for Euro 2012, Yushchenko said. "Stop talking to the press and making accusations," Yushchenko said. "You are government officials, you need to learn to conduct yourselves that way." Political in-fighting between Ukrainian commercial clans over construction contracts and tournament concessions has pushed key elements of Ukraine's Euro 2012 preparation effort behind schedule in key areas, particularly modernisation of the country's largest Olympic stadium in Kiev, and ground-up construction of dozens of international-standard hotels. The situation was not completely back on track, Yushchenko added, noting the overhaul of the Kiev stadium had finally begun, and a planned summer 2009 opening of a world-class stadium in the city Donetsk. Yury Pavlenko, Ukraine Minister of Sport, told reporters at a press conference subsequent to the meeting "We will absolutely be ready to host the championship in 2012." "The world financial crisis will not keep us from doing our job," he added. "I absolutely have no doubt on this." Modernisation of Kiev's Olympic stadium will be complete by the end of 2009, he said, giving the first public estimate for completion of the 300-million-dollar project.
