President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that the main task of the international advisory group of specialists on security guarantees for Ukraine will be the development of such guarantees that will work throughout the life of many generations of Ukrainians.
According to him, the President’s Office and diplomats continue to work to ensure that Ukraine receives reliable guarantees of its own security after the end of the war.
“In particular, the international advisory group headed by Yermak and ex-NATO Secretary General Rasmussen was established. The group will include leading experts in the field of security and defense, diplomacy. Their task is to develop a format of guarantees that will really work, moreover, work not for several months or a year, but throughout the life of many generations of Ukrainians,” Zelensky said in an evening video message on Tuesday.
As reported, on Tuesday, May 24, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak announced the creation of an international advisory group that will provide proposals on security guarantees for Ukraine.
It will be headed by Andriy Yermak and ex-NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
Prime Minister Denis Shmygal says that by the end of the year Ukraine plans to expand the capabilities of Ukrainian energy companies, and will be able to export to the European Union about 800 MW of electricity per day.
“In mid-March, Ukraine joined the European network ENTSO-E ahead of schedule… Ukraine is already exporting its electricity to Europe,” Shmygal told a government meeting on Tuesday.
According to the Prime Minister, in April, electricity exports to Poland increased by 35% compared to pre-war January.
“By the end of the year, we plan to expand the capabilities of Ukrainian energy companies, and will be able to export to the EU about 800 MW of electricity per day. This will help Europe to abandon the consumption of Russian coal and reduce the consumption of Russian gas, “he said.
The World Trade Organization (WTO) will consider unblocking Ukrainian ports for food security at the 12th Ministerial Conference on June 12-15 in Geneva.
“We are grateful for the personal efforts of the Director General of the WTO to find a solution to the logistics of Ukrainian grain, so important for Ukraine, Africa and the world. Free and fair trade will save the world from hunger and poverty,” the press service quoted the First Deputy Prime Minister as saying. Minister of Economy Yulia Sviridenko following her meeting with WTO Director-General Ngozi Okondji-Ivela at the World Economic Forum.
During the meeting, the parties also agreed on cooperation on the eve of the 12th Ministerial Conference.
Ovostar Union agro-industrial group of companies, one of the leading producers of eggs and egg products in Ukraine, in January-March 2022 received $ 16.44 million in net loss against the Russian military invasion against $ 4.72 million in net profit in the first quarter of 2021, according to the message of the agrarian group on the Warsaw Stock Exchange on Tuesday.
“The egg processing plant in Makarov (Bucha district, Kyiv region) was temporarily shut down until the city was deoccupied by Ukrainian troops in late March. A subsequent inspection of the plant revealed signs of uncritical damage to administrative and industrial buildings … Management expects to resume the operation of the plant after the completion of repair work in the premises, “the company said in a report on the consequences of the Russian invasion.
Ovostar’s revenue in the first quarter of 2022 decreased by 13.7% compared to January-March 2021 – to $ 27.71 million. The gross loss of the group of companies in the first quarter of this year amounted to $ 13.38 million against $ 6.91 million gross profit in January-March 2021, also for this period it received $ 15.67 million in operating loss against $ 4.37 in operating profit last year.
In the structure of Ovostar’s revenue, 75% was accounted for by egg sales ($ 20.8 million), of which 87% ($ 18.1 million) accounted for sales in Ukraine. The egg products segment generated 25% of the agroholding’s revenue ($ 6.8 million), with 58% of its sales ($ 3.93 million) in the domestic market.
“The main sales channel of the egg segment is large national retail chains. Geographically, sales are concentrated in the central part of the country, and the share of sales in the most affected regions does not exceed 10%. Market losses in the east and south where a large number of internally displaced persons temporarily reside, “the Ovostar report said.
The document states that the assets of the agricultural holding as of March 31, 2022 decreased compared to December 31, 2012 by 18.3% to $ 115.3 million, its long-term debt decreased by 1.8 times to $ 5.8 million, and current growth – by 1% to $ 14.5 million
“Since the beginning of the Russian military campaign, the group has faced significant obstacles to export activities due to serious logistics disruptions. In particular, the blockade of the port of Odessa blocked access to Middle Eastern markets, where goods were shipped by sea. after the company was issued a special license, “the egg producer said in a statement.
Ovostar also noted its dependence on imports of certain feed additives, vaccines and spare parts for equipment, which are included in the list of critical imports and are imported into Ukraine without restrictions. The management is also looking for adequate substitutes for imported supplies on the Ukrainian market.
According to the report, as of March 31, 2022, Ovostar Union shares were owned by: Prime One Capital Limited (67.93%), controlled by Ovostar CEO Boris Belikov and Chairman of the Board Vitaly Veresenko; Generali Open Funds Emergency Fund (10.39%), Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited (10.39%), Aviva Open Funds Emergency Fund (5.02%).
Ovostar Union Group is a vertically integrated public holding company, one of the leading producers of chicken eggs and egg products in Europe. The manufacturer is a certified exporter to EU countries since 2015.
The group’s holding company is Ovostar Union N.V. in mid-June 2011 held an IPO of 25% of the shares on the Warsaw Stock Exchange and raised $ 33.2 million. The majority stake in the company is owned by Prime One Capital Limited, which is controlled by its CEO Boris Belikov and Chairman of the Board Vitaly Veresenko.
Agroholding MHP, the largest producer of chicken in Ukraine, and in April 2022 due to the Russian military invasion of Ukraine reduced its production by 12% compared to April 2021 – up to 55.5 thousand. tons, and its sales – by 40%, up to 35 thousand. tons.
At the same time, foreign sales of chicken fell by 55% to 14.3 thousand. tons, while the Ukrainian market decreased by 20% to 20.7 thousand. tons, the company said on the London Stock Exchange on Tuesday.
Thus, the share of chicken exports in April 2022 decreased by 14 percentage points compared to April 2021 – from 55% to 41%. The average selling price of poultry meat increased by 18% to $ 1.8 / kg.
MHP also reduced the production of meat products and semi-finished products by 67% – from 4.44 thousand. tons in April 2021 to 1.45 thousand tons in April 2022.
“In March, due to the closure of ports, MHP recorded a significant decline in exports of poultry and vegetable oils. Since April, the company has been actively developing alternative routes to resume exports. In addition, the company’s local team has focused on improving poultry sales in Ukraine by optimizing logistics and sales channels, “the agricultural holding said in a statement.
In turn, in April, the agricultural holding doubled sales of sunflower oil compared to the same period last year, to 17.3 thousand. tons, and 30 times compared to March 2022, when export logistics from Ukraine were disrupted due to the Russian military invasion and blockade of its seaports by Russian ships.
MHP in April sold 2% less soybean oil than in April 2021 – 4.3 thousand. tons. However, this figure is 19% higher than soybean oil exports in March 2022.
“Spring sowing is completed on time and within the budget. Winter crops – wheat, barley, rapeseed – are in good condition. The company has access to all necessary PPE, pesticides and fertilizers, which are expected to be applied in a timely manner and in full,” the agricultural holding concluded. work in April.
MHP is the largest producer of chicken in Ukraine. Also engaged in the production of cereals, sunflower oil, meat products. MHP supplies the European market with chilled chicken carcasses, which are processed, including at its plants in the Netherlands and Slovakia. In February 2019, the agricultural holding completed the acquisition of the Slovenian company Perutnina Ptuj.
MHP in 2021 received $ 393 million in net profit against $ 133 million in net loss in 2020, and its revenue grew by 25% to $ 2.37 billion.
The founder, majority shareholder and head of the board of MHP is a Ukrainian businessman Yuri Kosyuk.
Germany plans to stop importing Russian coal by autumn, this will be possible at the expense of other suppliers, including South Africa.
“This is something that is quite real,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told reporters on Tuesday in Pretoria, where he is visiting. He is quoted by the German media.
Earlier in April, during a visit to Latvia, German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock said that Germany would gradually stop buying Russian energy resources, in particular, by the end of the year it would completely stop importing Russian oil. From coal imports, Burbock said, it is planned to stop before the end of the summer.
