KIEV, Jan. 28 - Now that he has resigned as prime minister, he can devote more time to the Party of Regions, which he chairs, former Prime Minister Mykola Azarov told his Facebook friends.

"I was among the founders of the Party of Regions. This is a major and responsible party. There are a huge number of honest and brilliant people in it. While serving as prime minister, I did not have the opportunity to fully perform the duties of this party's chairman. I hope my knowledge and expertise could promote development of this important political force in Ukraine," Azarov said on Facebook on Tuesday evening.