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KIEV, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Ukrainian parliament said Thursday it has extended the moratorium on the sale of the country's farmland for another year -- through Jan. 1, 2018.
The proposal to extend the ban, which expires at the beginning of next year, was approved by 297 lawmakers with at least 226 votes required to pass the legislation, said a statement on the parliament website.
The parliament's move came as a surprise as the land reform, envisaging a launch of the farmland market, is one of the key recommendations of the International Monetary Fund for Kiev to push forward Ukraine's economic reforms.
Last month, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko asked the parliament to lift the moratorium, saying it hindered investment in the agricultural sector and limited the rights of land owners.
To come into force, the law on the moratorium extension should be approved by Poroshenko.
In 2001, Ukraine adopted a new land code, reviving a ban on farmland trade, which was first imposed in 1992. Since then, the moratorium was extended several times. Enditem
