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Mykola Azarov
Mykola Azarov. September 30, 2004
Born	December 17, 1947 Kaluga, Russia

Mykola Azarov (Ukrainian: Микола Янович Азаров, Mykola Yanovych Azarov; original last name: Pakhlo) (b. December 17, 1947, Kaluga, Russia) is the current First Vice Prime Minister, Finance Minister of Ukraine. In the past he served in this position in 2002 – 2005 as well he was acting prime minister of that country for two short periods in late 2004 and early 2005.

Azarov graduated from the Moscow State University. He earned his doctorate in geology and mineralogy. Dr. Azarov moved to Ukraine for permanent residence in 1984.

Azarov served as the head of the budgetary committee of the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) in 1995 - 1997. He also was a long-term (1996 - 2002) head of the state tax administration. Along with the deceased minister Kyrpa, Mr. Azarov managed to maintain very close ties with Kuchma throughout the two presidential terms of the latter.

A technocrat rather than a politician, Dr. Azarov was appointed first deputy prime minister and finance minister in late November 2002, when the Cabinet of Viktor Yanukovych took office. During Yanukovich-Azarov governing the set of economic reforms was implemented including fiscal, tax, pensionary, regulatory reforms. Annual growth of GDP achieved 109.6% in 2003 and 112.1% in 2004 (cf. 102.7% in 2005), capital investments 131.3% and 128.0% (cf. 101.9% in 2005) correspondingly.

Azarov first served as acting prime minister from December 7, 2004, to December 28, 2004, after Yanukovych was put on vacation leave by President Kuchma in the midst of the presidential elections crisis. After the runoff, Yanukovych attempted to resume his duties as prime minister, but effectively unable to do so, announced his resignation on December 31, 2004. The Cabinet was officially dismissed on January 5, 2005, and Azarov was named acting prime minister again. He served in that position until shortly after the inauguration of Viktor Yushchenko. He was replaced on January 24, 2005, by Yulia Tymoshenko.

Azarov has remained a strong political ally of Yanukovych, and is a member of Parliament for his Party of Ukrainian Regions. When Yanukovych became prime minister again on August 4, 2006, Azarov was nominated to be the first deputy prime minister and the finance minister.

• Prime Minister of Ukraine

• Official biography. Retrieved on 2006-09-11.

Preceded by Viktor Yanukovych	Prime Minister of Ukraine (acting) December 2004	Succeeded by Viktor Yanukovych
Preceded by Viktor Yanukovych	Prime Minister of Ukraine (acting) January 2005	Succeeded by Yulia Tymoshenko
Preceded by ??	First Vice Prime Minister, Finance Minister 2006-present	Succeeded by Incumbent

Prime Ministers of Ukraine v • d • e

Ukrainian People's Republic (1917–1920): Vsevolod Holubovych • Mykola Sakhno-Ustymovych • Mykola Vasylenko • Fedir Lyzohub • Serhii Gerbel • Volodymyr Chekhivsky • Serhii Ostapenko • Borys Martos • Isaak Mazepa • Vyacheslav Prokopovych • Andriy Livytskyi Ukrainian SSR (1917–1991): Christian Rakovsky • Hryhorii Petrovsky • Christian Rakovsky • Vlas Chubar • Panas Lyubchenko • Mikhail Bondarenko • Nikolay Marchak • Demyan Korotchenko • Leonid Korniyets • Nikita Khrushchev • Demyan Korotchenko • Nikifor Kalchenko • Volodymyr Shcherbytsky • Ivan Kazanets • Vladimir Shcherbitsky • Aleksandr Lyashko • Vitaliy Masol • Vitold Fokin Ukraine since 1991: Vitold Fokin • Valentyn Symonenko¹ • Leonid Kuchma • Yukhym Zvyahilsky¹ • Vitaliy Masol • Yevhen Marchuk • Pavlo Lazarenko • Vasyl Durdynets¹ • Valeriy Pustovoitenko • Viktor Yushchenko • Anatoliy Kinakh • Viktor Yanukovych • Mykola Azarov¹ • Viktor Yanukovych • Mykola Azarov¹ • Yulia Tymoshenko • Yuriy Yekhanurov • Viktor Yanukovych ¹ denotes acting