Ukraine and Switzerland have agreed on mutual recognition of COVID-19 vaccination certificates, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said.
“I am also pleased to announce that we have agreed to recognize COVID-19 vaccination certificates for free and safe travel of citizens and businesses,” Kuleba said at a press conference following talks with Federal Adviser, Vice President and Chairman of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation Ignazio Cassis in Kyiv on Thursday.
“The exchange of notes has already taken place, and I invite all citizens to the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs tripadvisor.mfa.gov.ua, where you will see updated information on the conditions of travel to Switzerland,” the head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry added.
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister stressed that the mutual recognition of certificates is a very important step. “First of all, this is a step of trust that exists between our countries,” Kuleba added.
DYNAMICS OF BALANCE OF PAYMENTS OF UKRAINE (USD MLN)
Due to the rapid spread of coronavirus in the capital, strict quarantine restrictions are being introduced in the city from November 1, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said during a briefing on Thursday.
According to him, at the moment the capital, according to a number of criteria, has already reached the indicators of the “red” zone, in connection with which the city authorities will turn to the government with a request to strengthen quarantine restrictions.
“The decision to refer a city or region to the ‘red’ zone is made by the State Commission for Emergency Situations. And we appeal to the government to make such a decision. But I want to state that the capital, within its powers, introduces strict restrictions, which we announced earlier,” said Klitschko.
According to him, from November 1, all capital catering establishments, shopping and entertainment centers, hotels, gyms and social institutions can be visited only with a negative PCR test or a certificate of vaccination.
In addition, all schools in the city will switch to distance learning from Monday, kindergartens will be able to work only if 100% of the staff are vaccinated. In this mode, educational institutions will work until the epidemiological situation in Kyiv improves.
Public transport will not be stopped, but only people who have a vaccination certificate or a negative PCR test for coronavirus will be able to use it. Law enforcement officers will carry out spot checks on vehicles.
“We are introducing these severe restrictions because there are no other options in order to save the life and health of people,” the mayor stressed.
Ferroalloy enterprises of Ukraine in January-September of this year increased their output by 12.5% in total compared to the same period last year, to 668,270 tonnes, including 80,650 tonnes produced in September.
As the Ukrainian Association of Producers of Ferroalloys and Other Electrometallurgical Products told Interfax-Ukraine on Wednesday, in January-September 2021, production of silicon manganese at Zaporizhia (ZFP) and Nikopol (NFP) Ferroalloy Plants increased by 16.6%, to 522,540 tonnes. At the same time, total production of ferromanganese at three plants decreased by 20.7%, to 78,270 tonnes: ZFP, NFP and Kramatorsk Ferroalloy Plant (Kramatorsk plant was idle in January-September 2021, while in the same period of 2020 it produced 34,090 tonnes).
In addition, in Ukraine, production of ferrosilicon (in terms of 45%) increased by 38.3%, to 62,060 tonnes, and metallic manganese – 2.44 times, to 5,400 tonnes.
Pokrov (previously Ordzhonikidze) and Marhanets Mining and Processing Plants (both located in Dnipropetrovsk region) which extract and concentrate manganese ore, in January-September 2021 produced a total of 1.274 million tonnes of manganese concentrate, which 6.6% lower compared to January-September 2020. At the same time, Marhanets Mining produced 418,290 tonnes of concentrate (a decrease by 0.5% compared to the same period in 2020), and Pokrov Mining – 855,870 tonnes (less by 9.3%).
In January-September 2021, Pokrov Mining and Processing Plant also produced 195,040 tonnes of iron ore sinter (up by 63.6% compared to the same period in 2020), supplying it to Dniprovsky Metallurgical Plant (DMZ), part of DCH Steel from DCH Group of businessman Oleksandr Yaroslavsky.
GRAWE Ukraine insurer (Kyiv) in January-September 2021 collected UAH 92.503 million in net premiums, which is 18.4% more than in the same period last year, according to the company’s report posted in the information disclosure system of the National Securities and Stock Market Commission.
It is also noted that the company’s gross premiums for the reporting period increased by 24.5%, to UAH 104.247 million. Some UAH 6.031 million was transferred to reinsurance (more by 5.6%).
For the nine months, the company paid out UAH 56.727 million, which is 18.5% more than in January-September 2020.
Administrative expenses of the company amounted to UAH 11.363 million (less by 5.7%), sales expenses – UAH 37.271 million (more by 12.7%).
Pretax financial result was a loss of UAH 10.037 million against a negative financial result of UAH 4.539 million for the nine months a year earlier. Net loss was UAH 13.164 million against its indicator of UAH 7.050 million in January-September last year.
INPRO insurance company became a member of the Austrian financial concern GRAWE (Grazer Wechselseitige Versicherung AG) on April 10, 2008 and was renamed PrJSC Insurance Company GRAWE Ukraine. The regional network of the company includes about 23 customer service centers throughout Ukraine.
Kyiv authorities will not close public transport in connection with the tightening of quarantine restrictions in the capital, however, passengers will need to provide a certificate of vaccination against coronavirus or a negative PCR test, mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko has said.
“We are not going to close public transport, it will work, but only passengers who have a vaccination certificate or a negative PCR test must travel in it. Documents will be checked not at the entrance to the transport, but by special groups of law enforcement officers on a selective basis,” Klitschko said at a briefing on Thursday.
The mayor stressed that the measures are being introduced because “there are no other options” to save lives and health of people and prevent the collapse of the medical system, which may not withstand a large number of patients.
