Lviv. Dec 21 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukroboronprom Concern and the Czech state company VOP have signed a memorandum of cooperation within which Dozor-B armored vehicles will be brought to NATO standards.
The memorandum was signed by the representatives of both companies in the territory of Lviv Armored Plant producing Dozor armored vehicles on December 21.
Ukroboronprom Deputy Director Artur Kheruvimov told reporters the essence of the memorandum is that the Czech partners involved in production of armored vehicles will help bring Ukrainian armored vehicles to NATO standards.
“We are talking about the difference in weapons caliber, radio communications and other nuances, on which Ukrainian arms differ from weapons in NATO countries. VOP will also assist in the certification of Dozor vehicles in European states,” he said.
According to Kheruvimov, Dozor-B vehicles have passed state tests and their mass production has been started.
“The first contract has been signed with the Ministry of Defense, and the first batch of Dozors will be supplied to the army in spring next year,” he said.
KYIV. Dec 21 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukraine plans to supply 30 new multipurpose An-178 aircraft with a carrying capacity of 18 tonnes to the Air Force of Saudi Arabia.
The cooperation plans are outlined in a memorandum signed by Antonov State Enterprise (Kyiv) and Taqnia Aeronautics (Saudi Arabia) on December 17, 2015 in Kyiv, the press service of the state enterprise reported on Friday.
Retired Major General Ali Mohammed Al−Ghamdi, Chief Executive Officer of Taqnia Aeronautics company, said after the signing of the document that Saudi Arabia considers the signing of the memorandum as an important step in developing cooperation.
He said that Saudi Arabia selected An-178 aircraft, taking into account the characteristics of the new Ukrainian transport aircraft.
“The important advantages of An-178 compared to other aircraft of this type are its price and low exploitation expenses,” he said.
“We will conduct a joint marketing policy to promote An-178 to the Middle Eastern region markets and plan joint production of these aircraft,” he said.
Antonov Vice President Oleksandr Kotsiuba said that Ukraine considers plans to cooperate with Air Force of Saudi Arabia in the An-178 program as the confirmation of mutual desire to establish strategic partnership between Ukraine and Saudi Arabia in the aircraft building sector.
KYIV. Dec 18 (Interfax-Ukraine) – PJSC Turboatom (Kharkiv) will participate in the modernization of one of the largest thermal power stations in Ukraine – Zmiyivska TPP (Kharkiv region) so that it could transfer to the use of Ukrainian coal of all grades to remove energy dependence on deficient anthracite coal.
“Because of the complicated situation in the fuel and energy market of Ukraine, Kharkiv region selected the transition of power units, using anthracite coal, to Ukrainian coal of all grades, as the main anti-crisis measure for the energy sector rehabilitation,” Head of Kharkiv Regional State Administration Ihor Rainin said in an interview with the Uriadovy Kurier newspaper.
For this purpose, the Energoprogres and Kotloturboprom design bureaus drafted a plan for the re-equipment of coal power blocks at Zmiyivska TPP using the equipment of Kharkiv plants, in particular, Turboatom.
Turboatom, Ukraine’s largest producer of turbine equipment, in January-September 2015 saw a net profit of UAH 1.288 billion, which is 56.5% more than in the same period in 2014, its net income rose by 35%, to UAH 2.077 billion.
MINSK. Dec 18 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Belavia airline predicts that the passenger flow via Minsk to Ukraine will continue growing along with the opening of the flight from Minsk to Kharkiv on Thursday, Deputy Marketing and Foreign Operations Director of Belavia Igor Cherginets has said.
“Now, taking into account the additional flight to Kyiv and the opening of the flights to Odesa in November, passenger flow to Ukraine has tripled. Today we open the flight to Kharkiv. I think that the number of passengers on the Belarus-Ukraine route will continue growing,” he told reporters in Kharkiv.
He said that the occupancy of seats for Kyiv flights is very high, and the Odesa flights are approaching this level.
Belavia does not plan to increase frequency of flights from Minsk to Moscow.
KYIV. Dec 18 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Hyundai Corporation is mulling the possibility of creating a joint Ukrainian-South Korean venture in Lviv region, the press service of the Lviv Regional Administration has reported.
The press service said that the issue was discussed at a meeting of Lviv Regional Administration Head Oleh Syniutka with a representative of Hyundai Corporation on Thursday.
The representative of Hyundai Corporation in Kyiv, Ilya Jeong, said that the company has been working on the Ukrainian market and plans to expand its presence, not only in the railway infrastructure area, but in other areas.
“Our goal is to develop projects in Ukraine and conquer new markets of the Central and Eastern Europe. The company wants to develop, and it is important to find a good partner. We plan to create a joint venture. Lviv region is very attractive for us, and we’re discussing the possibility of placing the industrial base here. We would like to see the programs for investors,” the press service said, citing Jeong.
He said that a meeting with the head of one of the enterprises in the region which Hyundai Corporation is mulling as a potential partner was held.
Syniutka said that the advantages of the region are its location, infrastructure, safety and stable political situation.
He said that the region helps to realize investment projects and there will not be problems with selection of skilled specialists.
KYIV. Dec 17 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The self-administration of clinics could become a catalyst for the development of inbound medical tourism in Ukraine, but to start the process it is needed to get support from lawmakers and the readiness of hospitals and physicians, experts that announced the creation of the Inbound Medical Tourism Club in Ukraine – inUkraine – have stated.
“Ukraine is a competitive country in the field of medical tourism, we want to make it a long-term project but not a one-time campaign,” the president of the inUkraine club, the director of JK Consulting Group, Yulia Khomych, said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine.
“Inbound medical tourism could be a stimulus for the development of the health care system. Foreign patients are the resource that will provide our clinics and resorts with the opportunity not only to survive but also develop and provide a high level of services,” Vice President of the Association of Physicians in Medical Tourism Inna Daschenko said.
She also stressed that for the development of inbound medical tourism it is necessary to conduct work with foreign experts, as well as provide them with information tours in Ukrainian health care institutions.
