President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has said that in 2020, bilateral trade between Ukraine and Qatar doubled, despite the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, the press service of the head of state reported.
“Trade and economic cooperation underpins our relations with Qatar. I am pleased that bilateral trade following the results of such a difficult “pandemic” year 2020 reached high levels – almost $150 million. This is twice as much as, for example, in 2018. And this year, the momentum of trade between our countries has also been increased,” Zelensky’s press service said, quoting the president as saying in an interview with Qatari media outlets.
According to Zelensky, “the potential for trade and economic cooperation with Qatar can be much higher.”
Among examples of opportunities for bilateral economic growth, Zelensky noted the concession of the Ukrainian port of Olvia by the Qatari company QTerminals, as well as the implementation of domestic Ukrainian national programs to attract foreign investors.
He recalled that “in February 2021, he signed a law on so-called “investment nannies,” which provides strategic investors, whose investment amount exceeds EUR 20 million, with state support.”
In addition, “the Big Construction project, which provides for the construction of roads and other infrastructure facilities, is promising for investors.”
Also, according to Zelensky, “in the summer of 2021, a land reform, which establishes transparent relations in the agricultural sector and creates conditions for investing in livestock, agricultural processing, and logistics infrastructure, will start in Ukraine.”
Dozens of officers of regional departments of the State Customs Service of Ukraine have been suspended from work, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said during a video statement, following a meeting of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) on Friday.
“Dozens of customs officials have been suspended from work. And we are also preparing legislative changes, which will result in the criminalization of inaccurate customs declaration,” the president said.
He said the reason for such a decision is the losses incurred by the Ukrainian budget due to the ineffective work of customs.
“According to experts, losses due to smuggling reach UAH 300 billion, which the state budget lost. More than 100 billion of them [were lost] due to the ineffective work of customs,” the head of state said.
He said that Ukraine will continue to actively fight against smuggling, as it is “economic terrorism.”
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has changed the date of resolution No.269 on expanding the list of goods prohibited for import into the customs territory of Ukraine, originating from Russia and excluded from it one item, namely, newsprint in rolls or sheets.
Resolution No.269, which had previously disappeared from the government’s website, was re-promulgated on it, but is now dated April 1, together with the original date of March 29.
The document continues to indicate that it will enter into force ten days after publication.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has established the National Investment Fund of Ukraine in the form of a state-owned enterprise with an authorized capital of UAH 100 million.
The corresponding government decree of March 31 was published in the Uriadovy portal.
According to the decree, the Ministry of Economic Development must, within a month, develop a bill on the National Investment Fund, which, in particular, provides for mechanisms for creating joint investment projects with the sovereign funds of the United Arab Emirates, the State of Qatar and other states, as well as a bill on amendments to the law on the state budget for 2021.
The State Agency on Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving and the Ukrainian Hydrogen Union signed a memorandum of cooperation in the development of hydrogen energy, the agency said on its website on Friday.
The parties agreed to work together to identify and remove legislative barriers to the introduction of hydrogen technologies and to develop partnerships in this area with the EU, the United States and others.
“Ukraine is considered by the European Union as one of the strategic partners in the development of hydrogen energy. Taking into account our potential, we have every chance to integrate into Europe’s hydrogen plans and must create conditions for the effective functioning of this market,” Head of the State Agency on Energy Efficiency Kostiantyn Hura said. He added that, together with the Ministry of Energy and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), work on the Hydrogen Energy Development Strategy until 2050 is underway.
According to President of the Ukrainian Hydrogen Union Oleksandr Repkin, there are a number of common initiatives that are planned to be implemented for the development of the hydrogen economy.
U.S. President Joe Biden in a phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he expects the opportunity to visit Ukraine again and assured him of his support in reforming the country, Head of the President’s Office of Ukraine Andriy Yermak said.
“President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky held a telephone conversation with President of the United States of America Joe Biden. President Biden supports Ukraine in everything, and his team highly appreciates everything that President Zelensky does in reforming the country. Joe Biden said that he is waiting for the opportunity to visit Ukraine again and also remembered his speech in the Ukrainian parliament,” Yermak wrote on his Facebook page.
Earlier, President of Ukraine Zelensky, following the conversation with U.S. President Biden, said that he appreciates the support of the United States and intends to seriously reform the country.
