Ukraine does not yet have resources for creating its own innovative drugs, the development is demonstrated by generic production, Dmytro Shymkiv, the chairman of the board of directors of Darnitsa Group, has said.
“For the production of innovative drugs, we need appropriate research and development and patent protection of intellectual property not only in Ukraine, but also globally. And we also need the ability to raise from $ 1 billion and have at least 8-10 years of time. The availability of such resources in Ukraine is not yet discussed,” he said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
At the same time, he noted that “the generic market is also showing development, new combination drugs are being created and the existing lines are actively expanding.”
In addition, Shymkiv believes that “the Ukrainian pharmaceutical sector will not be able to cover all the needs for medicines,” therefore, there can be no talk of 100% import substitution.
“Refusal to import can be considered in those segments where Ukrainian companies can and are already producing drugs,” he said.
Commenting on the possibility of reviving vaccine production in Ukraine, Shymkiv stressed that “vaccine production is, first of all, issues of public-private partnership.”
“We studied the possibility of launching vaccine production. Everything causes the question: who is the customer. If the state guarantees the purchase, then we will have a Ukrainian plant using the best technologies. And Darnitsa is ready to invest in this. Invest where there are no guarantees of public procurement is too risky,” he said.
On December 7, Germany’s Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe Ambassador Rolf Mafael and Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni signed an agreement on the allocation of funds to Ukraine within the Council of Europe Action Plan, in particular, Germany allocates EUR 1 million, the German Embassy in Kyiv reported.
“As chairman of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers, Germany supports Ukraine’s efforts towards reforms. To demonstrate our support, we, as last year, made an important financial contribution to the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine,” said German Ambassador to Ukraine Anka Feldhusen.
In 2019, Berlin already contributed EUR 1 million to support the Plan.
PJSC Energomashspetsstal (Kramatorsk, Donetsk region), owned by Russia’s Atomenergomash (state corporation Rosatom), in January-November this year increased steel production by 9.3% compared to the same period last year, to 59,000 tonnes.
A source in the industry told Interfax-Ukraine that 4,000 tonnes of steel were produced in November.
As reported, Energomashspetsstal in 2019 reduced steel production by 4.8% compared to 2018, to 59,000 tonnes.
Energomashspetsstal is the largest Ukrainian manufacturer of special cast and forged products of individual and small-scale production for metallurgy, shipbuilding, energy (wind, steam, hydro, nuclear) and general mechanical engineering.
Ukraine in January-November 2020 reduced electricity exports by 23.1% (1.331 billion kWh) compared to the same period in 2019, to 4.425 billion kWh, according to Ukrenergo.
According to the calculations of the Interfax-Ukraine agency, the supply of electricity from the Burshtyn TPP energy island to Hungary, Slovakia and Romania decreased by 28.5% (by 1.121 billion kWh), to 2.805 billion kWh.
Electricity supplies to Poland increased by 12% (by 147.9 million kWh), to 1.381 billion kWh.
Electricity supplies to Moldova amounted to 156 million kWh, which is 73.9% (441 million kWh) less than in January-November 2019.
Since the beginning of the year, exports to Belarus amounted to 82.8 million kWh.
Ukrainian electricity was not exported to Russia.
At the same time, over the 11 months, Ukraine also reduced electricity imports by 2% (by 43 million kWh) compared to the same period last year, to 2.156 billion kWh. In particular, 1.356 billion kWh were supplied from Slovakia, 506.9 million kWh from Hungary, 152.3 million kWh from Belarus, 87.9 million kWh from Romania, 53.4 million kWh from the Russian Federation.
Ukrainian seaports in January-November of this year handled 145 million tonnes of cargo, which is 1% more than in the same period last year, representatives of the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority (USPA) said during the EBA Infrastructure Day on Thursday.
According to the USPA, the export of goods for 11 months-2020 increased by 3.6%, imports decreased by 8.3%, transit – by 10.3%.
“Exports increased due to such cargo as ore and metal, imports decreased due to ore and coal, transit decreased due to a reduction in ore supplies from the Russian Federation through the port of Pivdenny,” the USPA reported.
According to the published information, in the structure of cargo handling, grains make up 30% of cargo, ore – 28%, ferrous metals – 11%, containers – 8%, other bulk cargo – 6%, oil – 4%, etc.
Most of the cargo (28%) was handled by four seaports: Pivdenny, Mykolaiv, Odesa and Chornomorsk.
As reported, the seaports of Ukraine in 2019 handled 160 million tonnes of cargo, which is 18.4% more compared to 2018.
Sugar production in Ukraine as of December 3 amounted to 894,700 tonnes.
According to a report on the website of the National Association of Sugar Producers Ukrtsukor, as of this date, 30 sugar factories operate in the country, which processed 6.75 million tonnes of sugar beet.
As earlier reported with reference to Ukrtsukor, the sugar beet processing season started in the country on September 5.
Sugar production in Ukraine in 2020 is forecasted at 1.2 million tonnes, which is 15% less than a year earlier.
As of November 30, 2020, Ukrainian agricultural producers harvested 9 million tonnes of sugar beet from an area of 212,200 hectares (98%).
