Acting Economy Minister Serhiy Teriokhin considers the criticism expressed at his address by Prime Minister Yuriy Yekhanurov on Saturday during a Cabinet meeting to be unfair. \n \n"I think Yuriy Ivanovych still needs to sort things out. Well, he is still a new person, he needs to read more about what our forecast is," Teriokhin told journalists on Saturday. \n \nTeriokhin recalled that the Economy Ministry is "a thermometer, not an analgin." "We have achieved a turning point in the negative trends that began in the last quarter of 2004, when there was a 5.5% GDP decline for the quarter, and 6.2% inflation. Now the indicators are different, and the curve has reached a positive trend." \n \nTeriokhin also recalled the progress on the issue of joining the World Trade Organization. "Regarding the WTO, I have 3,200 pages of adopted laws on my desk. There remain 14 laws to be adopted that are technical," said the acting minister. \n \nTeriokhin said that he had asked the president to submit on his behalf "a composite law so that by October we can come out with a final report" within the framework of the negotiation process on Ukraine's accession to the WTO. \n \nAt the same time, he noted that in the WTO "lately there has been tough lobbying against Ukraine." To the question of whether this is Russian lobbying, he replied: "You said that, not I." \n \nTo the question of who could take his place in the government, Teriokhin said: "We have many professors and doctors of economic sciences in Ukraine." \n \nTeriokhin also recalled that the pre-election campaign is starting soon, and he sees his place within the "Reforms and Order" party. \n \n"I am a soldier, and I will not change parties," he noted. \n \n*** \n \nAt the same time, acting Finance Minister Viktor Pynzenyk declined to comment on Yekhanurov's reproaches at his address. \n \n"Ask Yekhanurov, I don't know what is being discussed," he said. \n \nAs is known, at the Cabinet meeting on Saturday Yekhanurov criticized the activities of the ministries of economy and finance for their work on the 2005 budget issue. \n \nUkrainska Pravda \n \n \n