KYIV. June 9 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukrainian agricultural companies have sown 127,000 hectares with buckwheat, which is 15,000 ha higher than was projected, the Ministry of Agricultural Policy and Food has reported
“Due to the fact that we have repeatedly raised questions about buckwheat, we increased the area under this crop by at least 15,000 ha. Thus, we will provide food security in this direction,” First Deputy Minister of Agricultural Policy Yaroslav Krasnopolsky told reporters at the XXVII International Agricultural Exhibition Agro 2015.
According to him, the total area sown with buckwheat is estimated at 127,000 ha.
As reported, the agricultural ministry had said the area sown with buckwheat needed to be increased in 2015 to meet the needs of the domestic market. According to the ministry, to ensure rational norms of buckwheat consumption in Ukraine least 180,000 tonnes of grain need to be grown.
KYIV. June 9 (Interfax-Ukraine) – France’s AREVA has won a tender to supply enriched uranium to National Nuclear Generating Company Energoatom, Energoatom President Yuriy Nedashkovsky has told reporters.
He said that the product will be used for the production of Westinghouse fuel assemblies.
Nedashkovsky said that the core volumes of the enriched uranium product to Westinghouse plant in Sweden will be supplied in 2016, and the tablets and fuel assemblies will be made at the plant in Vasteras.
“AREVA will buy uranium on the market or use its own, it is the company’s choice,” he said.
He said AREVA proposed to not only lower the price of enrichment services, but also suggested the possibility of paying in U.S. dollars or euros with flexible volume limits.
“The tender was held in several stages, we held talks with everyone and selected the lowest price,” he said.
Nedashkovsky said that in the future the company could hold separate tenders to buy uranium and its enrichment services.
As reported, Energoatom began to examine Westinghouse fuel in 2000 in a bid to diversify Ukraine’s sources of nuclear fuel.
In March 2008, Energoatom signed a contract with Westinghouse Electric Sweden AB to provide fresh nuclear fuel in 2011-2015 for three and six Ukrainian nuclear generating units fitted with VVER-1000 reactors.
In April 2015, Energoatom and AREVA signed a contract on supply of enriched uranium.
Energoatom is the operator of all four Ukrainian-based operating nuclear power plants, which have 15 VVER reactors with an overall generating capacity of 13.835 gigawatts.
KYIV. June 8 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is ready to continue financing projects in Ukraine and the bank is waiting for successful reforms, head of the delegation and EBRD Director, the Netherlands, Mongolia, Macedonia and Armenia, Paul Vlaanderen said during a press conference at the EBRD representative office in Ukraine on June 5.
The EBRD is ready to provide assistance as long as the reforms are going in the right direction and the right projects are offered, and the EBRD is ready to invest, he said.
Vlaanderen said that the goal of the visit of the EBRD delegation was to assess the situation in Ukraine and analyze bank’s operations in the country. The delegation met Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk, Finance Minister Natalie Jaresko, National Bank of Ukraine Governor Valeriya Gontareva, MPs, and representatives of companies operating in Ukraine.
Vlaanderen pointed out the fight against corruption and the improving business climate in Ukraine. He said the judicial system and the functioning of the public management at all levels should be improved, as well as the operation of tax agencies.
He did not specify the concrete volume of the EBRD’s investment in Ukraine for 2015, adding that in 2013 it was EUR 820 million and in 2014 – over EUR 1.2 billion.
This level is acceptable and normal for the EBRD, he said.
Vlaanderen said that the economic sectors interesting for the EBRD in Ukraine are agriculture, energy, logistics, transport, pharmaceutical sector and IT.
The EBRD is the largest international financial investor in Ukraine. As of January 1, 2015, the Bank had a total cumulative commitment of EUR 10.4 billion in 344 projects in the country.
KYIV. June 8 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukraine and Canada now are holding talks over establishment of free trade area, Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatseniuk said.
“We’re holding talks over a free trade area between Ukraine and Canada. I hope that within three months we are to complete these talks,” the premier told the journalists following the meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Kyiv on Saturday.
He said that now the parties “are on a good stage of talks.”
“Investments from Canada to Ukraine and the access of the Ukrainian goods to the market of Canada – this is what has been also discussed at today’s talks with Harper,” the premier said.
KYIV. June 8 (Interfax) – Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has thanked Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for the extension of $1.5 billion in loan guarantees to Ukraine.
“I am grateful to Japan for extending loan guarantees amounting to $1.5 billion, which should enable us to ensure Ukraine’s financial stability,” Poroshenko said following negotiations with the Japanese prime minister on Saturday.
As reported, in May, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine Valeriy Chaly has met with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan Yasumasa Nagamine and discussed the provision of financial assistance to Ukraine.
“Chaly thanked the Japanese side for their large-scale financial assistance to Ukraine, in particular, the issue of $1.5 billion in credit assistance for implementing a number of projects in support of development. The official also welcomed Japan’s decision to provide Ukraine with an extra aid of $316.6 million to stabilize the national economy and support reforms,” the presidential website reported.
Moreover, Japan also decided to allocate $16.6 million for implementation of the projects on restoration of social-economic infrastructure of damaged Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
KYIV. June 8 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Japan confirmed a provision of a JPY 108 billion loan for the reconstruction of Bortnychi aeration station.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe were present during the signing of the respective document in Kyiv on Saturday.
As reported, on February 11, 2015 representatives of PJSC Kyivvodokanal (Kyiv) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) said the signing of a loan agreement between the government of Ukraine and Japan as part of the reconstruction of Bortnychi aeration station is expected in early summer 2015.
The cost of preparation work Ukraine is obliged to fulfill before the start of the realization of the project and the signing of the agreement is assessed at UAH 125 million, of which UAH 5 million would be meant for a fitting of the European project to the Japanese technology standards financed in 2014.
