Export changes in % to previous period in 2021-2022
Source: Open4business.com.ua and experts.news
Republicans are calling for immediate action against the Chinese government, citing a new U.S. Department of Energy report that cites a “laboratory leak” as the cause of the COVID-19 outbreak.
“What’s important is holding the Chinese Communist Party accountable so this doesn’t happen again,” tweeted Senator Tom Cotton.
His call was echoed by Senator Rick Scott.
“The left has spent the last 2 years trying to censor the truth and cover up Communist China, but the facts are undeniable. (…) It’s time to hold this evil regime accountable,” Scott’s tweet follows.
Senator Marsha Blackburn noted, “For years, Anthony Fauci and Joe Biden officials have called this a conspiracy.”
Senator Josh Hawley said he would reintroduce a bill requiring more information about what the U.S. government learned about the COVID-19 outbreak.
“The American people deserve the full truth about the origin of COVID. (…) I will once again introduce a bill to make the U.S. government’s intelligence reports about COVID open to the people,” he tweeted.
Meanwhile, Senator Dan Sullivan said on NBC that there should be an “extensive” public hearing in Congress on the origins of COVID-19.
Earlier, The Wall Street Journal reported that experts at the U.S. Department of Energy had concluded that the coronavirus likely spread due to a laboratory leak in China.
“The Department of Energy now agrees with the FBI that the virus likely began to spread because of a laboratory incident in the PRC,” the publication said.
The department came to that conclusion after reviewing new intelligence. The FBI reached a similar conclusion, using its own sources, in 2021.
However, according to the newspaper, so far, there is no consensus on this issue in the U.S. government. Four government agencies, as well as a specially formed group of intelligence specialists, still lean toward the theory of natural origin of the virus. Two other U.S. agencies are not yet able to come to a definite conclusion.
Shortly after the pandemic began, incumbent U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly voiced the “laboratory” origin of the coronavirus. He claimed that China would need to compensate the world for the damage caused by the coronavirus. Trump himself often referred to COVID-19 as the “Chinese virus,” and his opponents criticized such claims. Under current U.S. President Joe Biden, the work to determine the origin of COVID-19 continues.
Government Resolution No.157 of February 17 has amended the procedure for public procurement, in particular, reduced the list of exceptions when it is allowed to enter into direct contracts without a tender, the Ministry of Economy said with reference to First Deputy Prime Minister – Economy Minister Yulia Sviridenko.
“We are gradually returning to the mandatory use of Prozorro in procurement. Thus, by this decision we have significantly reduced the list of exceptions when it is allowed to enter into direct contracts without a tender, obliged to publish more information on direct purchases”, – noted Sviridenko.
Ministry of Economy also pointed out that there are conditions for publishing a report on the execution of the contract on procurement in the electronic procurement system (EPS), clarified the information that customers may not publish in the annual procurement plans and the announcement of the bidding, if such information poses a security risk.
In addition, there is an obligation to publish the texts of contracts and all annexes thereto in the case of procurement without the use of Prozorro, but it is still possible to hide sensitive information about the supplier, the address of delivery, if such information poses a security risk, says the Ministry of Economy.
At the same time, it is provided that in the case of procurement, the value of which is less than 50 thousand UAH, without the use of an electronic procurement system, the customer shall not make public in the electronic procurement system the report on the contract of procurement, concluded without the use of an electronic system of procurement.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said that during his visit to Kiev he “focused on the problems of the war and the ways of its peaceful settlement.”
“Saudi Arabia would like to do everything possible to reduce the severity of hostilities. Any war ends at the negotiating table, but it should be under the auspices of the UN and with respect for international law,” he said Sunday at a briefing in Kiev.
The minister said that “President Zelensky’s peace initiatives should be at the core of the peace settlement.”
According to him, the sides “discussed Saudi Arabia’s mediation for the release of prisoners of war.” “It was a victory for Saudi Arabia, we hope to continue these efforts,” he said of the fall 2022 exchange of prisoners of war between Ukraine and Russia mediated by Saudi Arabia.
According to the minister, during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, he gave him a greeting from the king of Saudi Arabia.
Ukraine and Saudi Arabia signed documents on Sunday in Kiev to provide Kiev with a $400 million aid package, $100 million in humanitarian aid and $300 million in oil products, Ukrainian President Andrei Yermak said in his Telegram channel.
“There is a successful visit to Kiev of the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. He met with President Vladimir Zelensky and the team. This is the first official visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia to Ukraine since the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries (14 April 1993). And I am personally grateful to Prince Feisal bin Farhan Al Saud for the constructive dialogue that eventually led us to this meeting,” he wrote.
In particular, Yermak also wrote, “we are talking about a joint cooperation program with the King Salman Center for Humanitarian Aid and Relief and a Memorandum of Understanding with the Saudi Development Fund.”
“I would like to remind you that Ukraine and Saudi Arabia have common challenges and experience in dealing with them. We are talking about Iranian UAVs, which were supplied to certain ‘insurgents’ and carried out attacks on Saudi oil facilities,” he also wrote.
Yermak reminded that “starting last year, the same Iranian UAVs ended up with Russian terrorists and carry out attacks on the Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Therefore, we also share experience in fighting terrorists.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal believes that Ukraine is completing the development of anti-corruption infrastructure, while tolerance for corruption in Ukrainian society has become zero.
“Ukraine is completing the development of anti-corruption infrastructure. Institutions are fully operational and checking all levels for corruption. Society has changed as a result of this war and no longer forgives signs of possible wrongdoing. We have zero tolerance for corruption,” said Shmygal in an interview with the German newspaper Focus, which is published by the press service of the Ukrainian government.
At the same time, the prime minister pointed out that the reaction to manifestations of corruption in Ukraine is now instant, which is manifested in the rapid arrest of people suspected of corruption crimes.
According to the head of the government, this indicates a change in Ukraine’s approach to these issues.
“Today there is no system corruption in Ukraine. Single manifestations of corruption – I emphasize the word “single” – are not tolerated, they are immediately dealt with”, – summed up Shmygal.
