Experts from the US George Washington University will help Ukraine attract external research grants for the implementation of irrigation reform, conduct educational programs through the exchange of specialists and provide the country with technical assistance, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food said on its website on Thursday.
According to it, the relevant agreements were reached during a meeting between Minister of Agricultural Policy Roman Leshchenko and the staff of the George Washington University, which took place in early September.
The parties at the meeting discussed a partnership in which the institution will help Ukraine find external research grants for irrigation reform. The university also intends to conduct educational programs through the exchange of specialists with Ukraine and provide it with technical assistance.
“We need new technologies to change our environmental philosophy, because Ukraine can lose a lot of fertile land without a high level of water management,” the press service of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy quoted Leshchenko as saying.
The minister specified that Ukraine creates conditions for attracting foreign investment and developing public-private partnerships in land relations. According to him, after the opening of the land market on July 1, Ukraine intends to form a legal basis for the activities of the organization of water users and the creation of mechanisms for attracting investments in the construction of a new reclamation infrastructure and the functioning of the existing one.
As reported, the United States may provide Ukraine with a credit line totaling $4 billion for the period 2022-2030 to modernize irrigation infrastructure. The investment project was proposed to the American partners by President Volodymyr Zelensky for consideration during his working trip to the United States last week.
In April 2021, the Cabinet of Ministers called for the restoration of irrigation systems for agricultural lands in the southern regions of the country by the end of this year.
The restoration of the reclamation industry has become a national project until 2024. In 2021, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy launches a pilot project to restore irrigation systems in Odesa, Kherson, Mykolaiv and Zaporizhia regions.
EXTERNAL GRANTS, GEORGE WASHINGTON, LAND RECLAMATION INDUSTRY, REFORM, UNIVERSITY
Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal has said that next year, 2022, the budget for medicine will exceed the budget of 2019 by two times during the discussion panel of the forum “Recovery plan for Europe” in Karpacz (Republic of Poland).
“In parallel with the reform of medicine, we are changing our approaches. We are paying more attention to the scientific basis, development and production of our own drugs and vaccines,” the press service of the government quoted the prime minister as saying.
Shmyhal also noted that the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic had affected the whole world, therefore, the countries should look for ways to overcome the challenges together.
He stressed that there are several scenarios for overcoming the crisis, and the common challenge of the countries today is to ensure an equitable and fair recovery for the entire society. He voiced a number of priorities, without which it is impossible to get out of the crisis today.
“First, one needs to have an understanding and vision of the strategy. For the first time since Ukraine’s independence, we have developed an economic development strategy until 2030, which contains more than 30 vectors and 12 programs,” Shmyhal said.
In addition, economic recovery, according to the Prime Minister, is impossible without government and business support for infrastructure projects.
“President Volodymyr Zelensky initiated the Big Construction program. Ukraine has the opportunity to build roads, restore infrastructure, bridges, airports, train stations. We pay a lot of attention to public-private partnership, which is also an important area of overcoming the crisis. Governments must take leadership to bring countries out of the crisis, but without the support of society and business, it is impossible to overcome the challenges we face,” Shmyhal said.
Among other things, the head of government noted the importance of the green transition, since it is “not only about climate change, but also about the well-being of people, significant investments, the development of hydrogen technologies and other innovative areas.”
In conclusion, Shmyhal stressed that the countries should pay attention to the development of trade and investment space and take joint steps to enhance security in the region.
As reported, Shmyhal paid a working visit to the Republic of Poland on September 9. During the visit, he met with Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Poland Mateusz Morawiecki, Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia Janez Janša and took part in the discussion panel of the XXX Economic Forum in Karpacz.
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the merger of retail and warehouse real estate, leading to the emergence of a new hybrid store model of interest to both investors and tenants, according to a study by CBRE.
According to its data, disruptions in commodity supply in 2020 brought the concept of omnichannel to a new level – hybrid store models have emerged that allow shoppers to make purchases both offline in a physical store and online. Thus, retailers need multiple logistics channels to meet demand.
At the same time, transportation costs for direct shipments to consumers are high costs for the retailer, which stimulates the use of physical stores, including as distribution centers and pick-up points, the study notes. According to CBRE Supply Chain Advisory, typical online ordering costs exceed in-store costs by 10-15%.
“In order to meet today’s consumer demands, supply chains have evolved into a network of speed-optimizing facilities that increase capacity and minimize overall costs. Retail chains now have more distribution centers linked to smaller warehouses and distribution points to ensure the best inventory management, delivery and return of customer goods,” the report says.
According to CBRE experts, despite the growth of e-commerce, physical stores remain a sought-after asset, although they require a different development strategy, including the closure of inefficient locations, resizing stores, optimizing rental costs, and reducing delivery costs through the introduction of self-pickup services.
“This approach will allow us to preserve the traditional retail experience, while ensuring the growth of their e-commerce platforms in a single coherent ecosystem,” the study reads.
Domestic pharmaceutical manufacturers are negotiating to localize the production of influenza vaccines in Ukraine, the vaccine will be presented on the market in the first quarter of 2022, Deputy Minister of Health, Chief State Sanitary Doctor Ihor Kuzin said in an online interview with medical expert of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Ukraine Kateryna Bulavinova.
“Ukrainian pharmaceutical manufacturers are negotiating to localize the production of influenza vaccines in Ukraine. It will be a tri- or quadrivalent vaccine in monodose syringes. We hope that such a vaccine will be available on the market during the first quarter of 2022,” he said.
Kuzin noted that it is also planned to purchase about 1 million doses of the vaccine.
“According to forecasts, we will have the same influenza epidemic season as last year. Since June we have been working with vaccine manufacturers and the pharmaceutical sector. Negotiations are underway to transfer a free vaccine to vaccinate health workers within the humanitarian aid framework. The amount of vaccine that will be supplied to the country for the pharmacy network will be slightly more than last year – about 1 million doses,” the deputy minister said.
INFLUENZA, PHARMACEUTICAL MANUFACTURERS, PRODUCTION, VACCINES
Russia has no intention of halting gas transit through the territory of Ukraine following the launch of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.
However, this issue depends on the volumes of future European procurement and the competitiveness of alternative routes, Zakharova said.
“We are ready to continue gas transit through the territory of Ukraine, but this issue is purely a commercial one,” Zakharova told a press briefing in Moscow.
It “depends on many factors, including the volumes of future European procurement and the competitiveness of alternative routes,” she said.
Besides, speaking about attempts to link the start of the normal operation of Nord Stream 2 to “other subjects,” Zakharova said Moscow “continues to regard them as an example of absolutely illegitimate politicization of energy cooperation, which radically contradicts market principles.”
National bank of Ukraine’s official rates as of 09/09/21
Source: National Bank of Ukraine
