The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors on June 30 approved a $212 million financing package for private joint-stock company Ukrhydroenergo for installation of hybrid systems for electricity production.
“The project will enhance the flexibility of the Ukrainian power system to help synchronize it with the European electricity grid and decarbonize the power sector,” the World Bank said.
The $212 million financing package includes a $177 million International Bank of Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) loan, a $34 million Clean Technology Fund (CTF) concessional loan, and a $1 million CTF grant for a new project in Ukraine.
“The World Bank’s financing will help mitigate technical risks associated with synchronizing Ukraine’s power grid with the European electricity grid and will help decarbonize it by facilitating greater integration of renewable energy,” the World Bank said.
Ukraine hopes the EU will add it to the list of countries from which free entry is allowed in two weeks, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Oleh Nikolenko said.
“There is no policy in the recommendation of the European Commission. Every two weeks, the EU member states revise the list of third countries for free entry into the EU. The recommendation is formed, in particular, based on four factors: the rate of new cases of COVID-19 reported per 100,000 population over the previous 14 days, the number of tests in seven days, the level of positive tests and the nature of the virus, in particular the presence of more dangerous strains,” Nikolenko told Interfax-Ukraine on Thursday.
He said the indicators in Ukraine for the period when the European Commission conducted the assessment, even exceeded the norm.
“It should be borne in mind here that the assessment of indicators was conducted not over the past days, but over the previous several weeks, when they were higher. Since we are now more and more approaching the norm established by the European Commission, on behalf of Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba, the Ukrainian Delegation to the EU is interacting with the European side to include Ukraine in the list during its next review,” the spokesperson said.
At the same time, he drew attention to the fact that the recommendation of the European Commission to open the EU borders for a certain list of countries is not legally binding.
“EU member states individually approve final decisions to weaken or strengthen travel restrictions. Accordingly, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry is working with European countries on a bilateral level to simplify travel conditions for Ukrainians, in particular the recognition of vaccination certificates and digital COVID-19 certificates,” Nikolenko said.
The Ukrainian industrial company Interpipe is continuously evolving high-tech exports as well as collaboration with Indian Railways. The cooperation between two companies has already been lasting for more than 25 years.
The company said in a press release that during this time Interpipe supplied both locomotive and passenger wheels to India.
“Now, specifically for Indian Railways, we have developed an improved wheel design for passenger transport in accordance with the operating conditions in India,” the company said in the press release.
Due to the new design, the carrier expects to significantly increase the safety of railway traffic after repairs of passenger rolling stock.
Interpipe NTRP has already started executing this order.
The company expects to supply the Indian national railway operator with a record volume of these wheels. It will help Interpipe to strengthen a long-term relationship with Indian Railways.
Interpipe is global producer of steel pipes and railway wheels, based in Ukraine. The company’s products are marketed in more than 80 countries all around the world via the network of sales offices located in key markets of Ukraine, Europe, North America and the Middle East.
Head of National Nuclear Generating Company Energoatom Petro Kotin and Senior Vice President for Commercial Operations at Westinghouse Electric Company Elias Gedeon have discussed cooperation in the construction of new NPP units in Ukraine using AP1000 reactors.
According to the press service of Energoatom, in particular, during the negotiations held in Kyiv on June 29, the parties agreed to create a joint working group.
Energoatom said that the use of the American AP1000 technology – a next Generation III+ double loop reactor with a capacity of about 1100 MW, the design of which has fewer components, and standardization and licensing of which help to reduce the construction time and cost – in the long term will enable the company to provide a high level of safety and reliable operation of nuclear generation and respect for the environment.
As reported, Energoatom and Westinghouse have been cooperating since 2000 in the supply of nuclear fuel.
The Parliamentary Committee of the Nation’s Health, Medical Assistance and Medical Insurance has supported a bill on the use of cannabis for medical purposes.
The committee adopted the corresponding bill No. 5596, developed by the MPs of different factions, at a meeting on Wednesday.
According to the explanatory note to the bill, it provides for the need to comply with Ukraine’s international legal obligations regarding the circulation of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors.
The bill provides for the classification of hemp depending on the content of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in it: medical hemp (Cannabis) with a low content of THC in dry matter (0.2-1%) and Cannabis with a high content of THC (more than 1%), as well as industrial hemp, the content of THC in the dry mass of which does not exceed 0.2%
The bill proposes, in particular, to create regulatory conditions for the legal circulation of cannabis, in particular for use in medical practice, scientific and technical activities, to establish requirements and determine the features of controlled circulation of cannabis in certain areas of activity in accordance with the requirements of international law, to resolve issues related to organization of activities for the circulation of hemp at each stage of such a turnover, including, inter alia, operations for the import/export/transportation through the territory of Ukraine, storage and sale of hemp.
Also, the bill will define the requirements for business entities that can carry out operations related to the circulation of hemp, define and regulate the distribution of functions and powers of regulatory bodies that ensure the fight against illegal traffic in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors, to control the use of hemp for purposes specified by law.
According to the authors of the document, it should give an impetus to the development of medical science and the pharmaceutical industry by introducing the possibility of using hemp for medical and research purposes, to help improve the level and quality of medical services for the population in the field of palliative medicine, the methods of which, in particular, are based on the use of medical hemp.
The bill should also ensure that patients can purchase and store cannabis for medicinal purposes as medically indicated and prescribed by a doctor.
The bill provides for amendments to the foundations of the legislation of Ukraine on health care regarding the consolidation of the human right to access the necessary medicines, including, among other things, drugs containing narcotic drugs and/or psychotropic substances and precursors, the law On Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Precursors regarding the provision of the possibility of using plants of the genus hemp for industrial, scientific and medical purposes, the law On the List of Permitting Documents in the Sphere of Economic Activity regarding the inclusion in this list of permits for the use of facilities and premises intended for the implementation of activities for the circulation of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors.
At the same time, the committee rejected the alternative bill No. 5596-1.
Ukrainian producers since the beginning of the year have received the right to export agricultural products to 11 countries, while for the whole of 2020 Ukraine opened 12 export markets, the State Service on Food Safety and Consumer Protection said on its website.
According to its data, since the beginning of 2021, the markets of Lebanon, Japan, Argentina, Libya and Kuwait opened for Ukrainian producers of milk and dairy products, Serbia for processed animal protein, Ethiopia for table eggs. Lithuania opened a market for the export of arachnids for plant protection needs, a health certificate for the import of live snails for breeding was agreed with Slovakia, and certificates for the export of small ruminants were agreed with Jordan and Kuwait.
The service also announced two audits: an assessment of official control over the production and certification of milk and dairy products and an audit of the state control system for microbiological contamination of non-animal products exported to the EU.
The ministry recalled the coordination of 63 forms of certificates for the export of animal products to the CIS countries in connection with Ukraine’s withdrawal from the previously signed agreement on cooperation in the field of veterinary medicine.
The state consumer service clarified that this year it also has signed an agreement with the Republic of North Macedonia on cooperation in the field of plant quarantine and protection, which should become an additional lever to enhance trade in plant products between Ukraine and North Macedonia.
“Each new market is a new opportunity for Ukrainian business. Today we are actively working with the EU countries, with very promising countries in Asia and Africa. There are about a hundred more export markets that are planned to be opened for Ukrainian producers,” head of the service Vladyslava Mahaletska said.
