KYIV. Jan 20 (Interfax) – Israeli Ambassador to Kyiv Eliav Belotserkovsky is hopeful that Ukraine and Israel will sign a free trade area agreement before the end of 2016.
“I hope that we will be able to sign a free trade area agreement with Ukraine before the end of the year,” he said at a press conference in Kyiv on Tuesday.
The two countries’ mutual trade stood at $800 million, a decline as compared to the previous period, he said. Israeli exports to Ukraine dropped, while Ukraine’s exports to the Israeli market grew 4% to some $600 million-$650 million.
At the end of 2015, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, speaking after his talks with the Israeli leadership, announced the two countries’ plans to sign a free trade area agreement in the first half of 2016.
KYIV. Jan 19 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Pavlo Klimkin and EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom met in Brussels on Monday to discuss prospects for facilitation of the economic impact of the implementation of a deep and comprehensive free trade area (DCFTA) between Ukraine and the EU.
“The parties welcomed the introduction the deep and comprehensive free trade area as of January 1, 2016, and confirmed the plans to coordinate efforts to ensure tangible positive results both for businesses and for consumers in Ukraine and the EU within the shortest time possible,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry’s press service reported after the Klimkin-Malmstrom meeting on Monday.
The sides paid special attention to the impact of the discriminatory measures introduced by Russia to limit Ukrainian imports onto the Russian market and Ukrainian transit shipments through Russian territory to third countries’ markets.
“Klimkin suggested considering a package of joint measures aimed at strengthening the economic impact of the DCFTA implementation by promoting investment and business contacts between Ukraine and the EU, and the EU’s assistance in developing Ukraine’s export potential, further liberalization of access of certain categories of Ukrainian exports to the EU market, and the coordination of measures to be taken by Ukraine and the EU within the WTO,” the report said.
The parties also agreed to coordinate joint efforts in that direction.
KYIV. Jan 19 (Interfax-Ukraine) – DTEK on January 16 resumed shipments from companies developing Lviv-Volyn coal basin in Ukraine’s northwest, head of DTEK Energy’s department for external communications Iryna Miliutina said.
“The shipments have resumed at the request and against guarantees from the Energy and Coal Industry Ministry. At the same time, the State Coal Company hasn’t submitted the documents needed to formalize the transaction, therefore the coal is sent to warehouses of DTEK Energy’s thermal power plant for storage,” she wrote on Facebook.
In her words, the ministry guarantees that the issue will be settled within the next few days. “All contracts and specifications needed for the supply of Lviv-Volyn coal to Zakhidenergo’s thermal power plants will be agreed and signed by Centrenergo and the State Coal Company by the end of the current week. This will let it possible to formalize coal shipments to DTEK Zakhidenergo’s thermal power plant and resume supplies of DTEK Energy’s coal to Centrenergo’s thermal power plants,” she said.
DTEK earlier reported that in 2015 its thermal power plants bought over 580,000 tonnes of coal from state-run coal mines, including over 450,000 tonnes of Lviv-Volyn coal.
KYIV. Jan 19 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The Victor Pinchuk Foundation and EastOne International Investment Advisory Group will host the Ukrainian Breakfast, a traditional private event organized at the occasion of the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, in Davos (Switzerland) on January 22.
“This year, the speakers will discuss the topic ‘Changing World. Changed Ukraine?’: In a world dominated by multiple crises, where is Ukraine’s place? And are reforms in Ukraine reaching a critical mass that leads to real and irreversible change?,” reads a report from the organizers on Tuesday.
According to the report, among the speakers will be Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine Aivaras Abromavicius; President of the European Commission (2004-2014) Jose Manuel Barroso; Prime Minister of Sweden (1991-1994) and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden (2006-2014) Carl Bildt; Founder of Virgin Group Sir Richard Branson; Minister of International Trade of Canada Chrystia Freeland, and Natalie Jaresko, Finance Minister of Ukraine.
Niall Ferguson, Professor of History at Harvard University, will moderate the discussion.
The Davos Ukrainian Lunch (Davos Ukrainian Breakfast in 2015 and 2016) is a private event dedicated to Ukraine, held annually in Davos at the occasion of the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum. It gives world leaders an opportunity to learn about and discuss Ukraine’s political and economic situation and challenges.
This year the International Renaissance Foundation, Horizon Capital and Western NIS Enterprise Fund (WNISEF) will be the partners of the event.
KYIV. Jan 18 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Flour exports from Ukraine in 2015 amounted to 304,015 tonnes, which is 23% more than in 2014.
According to customs statistics, made public by the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine, in monetary terms exports of wheat flour in the past year fell by 4.6%, to $69.093 million from $72.230 million.
Imports of flour to Ukraine halved to 1,250 tonnes from 2,490 tonnes in 2014, while in monetary terms the figure decreased by 3.3 times, from $1.72 million to $524,000.
According to the service, exports of flour from other grains fell from 6,103 tonnes worth $2.693 million to 2,832 tonnes for $882,000.
Imports of such flour to the country amounted to 444 tonnes against 136 tonnes in 2014. In monetary terms, it increased by 1.5%, to $134,000 from $132,000.
KYIV. Jan 18 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukraine in 2015 exported ammonia (foreign activity code 2814) for $251.938 million, imported for $28.676 million.
According to the State Fiscal Service, the United States received ammonia for $57.237 million, Turkey for $55.651 million, Morocco for $49.666 million, other countries for $89.384 million.
Imports of ammonia last year was carried out mainly from Russia (worth $28.503 million).
In 2015, nitrogen mineral and chemical fertilizers were also exported (foreign activity 3102) in the amount of $521.552 million. Turkey was supplied fertilizers worth $222.547 million, Italy for $55.724 million, India for $29.851 million, other countries for $213.43 million.
Imports of fertilizers (code 3102) for the period amounted to $212.931 million, in particular imports from Russia stood at $169.977 million, Belarus at $21.761 million, Uzbekistan at $16.514 million, other countries at $4.679 million.
