Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Neil Crompton has been appointed as the new British ambassador to Ukraine.
“Mr. Crompton will take up his post in October 2025,” according to a statement on the British government’s website.
Crompton has been appointed ambassador to Ukraine to replace Martin Harris, Knight of the Order of the British Empire, who is moving to another position in the diplomatic service.
Neil Crompton is a British diplomat with many years of experience. From 2020 to 2025, he served as British ambassador to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. From 2015 to 2019, he was director of the Middle East and North Africa Department at the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). From 2014 to 2015, he headed the Department for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and from 2011 to 2014, the Department for South Asia and Afghanistan.
From 2007 to 2011, Crompton worked as an advisor on foreign and security policy in Washington. From 2005 to 2007, he coordinated Iran issues at the Foreign Office, and from 2003 to 2005, he headed the Iraq policy unit. He began his career at the Foreign Office in 1995.
Source: https://interfax.com.ua/news/diplomats/1114739.html
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has allocated EUR46.2 million to support Ukrainian municipalities in restoring vital public infrastructure and providing essential services, backed by an EU guarantee under the European Commission’s investment program for Ukraine.
“This funding is directed where it is most needed: to restore and support essential public services for Ukrainian citizens. This support comes at a critical moment, as Russia intensifies its attacks on civilian infrastructure. The European Commission intends to continue its close cooperation with the European Investment Bank, using the Ukraine Assistance Program to provide vital support to Ukraine and its people,” said Valdis Dombrovskis, European Commissioner for Economy and Productivity, Implementation, and Simplification.
In particular, EUR 28 million has been allocated under Ukraine’s Urban Public Transport Projects I and II, which support the renewal of urban transport fleets with modern, energy-efficient vehicles. Thanks to this funding, Kyiv, Lviv, and Mykolaiv will receive new buses; Zaporizhzhia, Ternopil, and Kremenchuk will receive trolleybuses; Dnipro and Kamyanske will receive trams; and Uzhhorod will receive electric buses.
As part of Ukraine’s municipal infrastructure development program, the EIB has allocated EUR 13.3 million to modernize vital local services. The funding supports the reconstruction of public lighting systems in Dnipro and Kamyanske, the modernization of water supply and sewage systems in Lutsk, the improvement of energy efficiency in schools and kindergartens in Sumy, and the improvement of solid waste management in Lviv for the reclamation of the Hrybovychi landfill.
An additional EUR 4.9 million has been allocated under the Ukraine Public Buildings Energy Efficiency Program to support projects in the cities of Rivne, Korets, and Kovel. The sub-projects focus on the energy-efficient modernization of schools, kindergartens, and medical facilities, including insulation, window replacement, and heating system upgrades. This funding is complemented by an E5P investment grant for hospital buildings, such as the Kovel City District Territorial Medical Association, which helps improve energy efficiency, comfort, and quality of service in healthcare facilities.
The European Investment Bank has been operating in Ukraine since 2007. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, the Bank stepped up its financial support to help strengthen the country’s resilience and rebuild its infrastructure. Since then, the EIB has provided EUR4 billion in financing to Ukraine.
According to Serbian Economist, Montenegro will become a party to the Convention on a Common Transit Procedure and the Convention on the Simplification of Formalities in Trade in Goods from November 1, 2025, reports the State Customs Service of Ukraine.
The decision was made by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union (DG TAXUD). Once the convention enters into force, Montenegrin customs authorities will be able to perform the functions of customs offices of departure and destination for international shipments under the NCTS procedure.
The State Customs Service of Ukraine emphasized that the expansion of the network of countries participating in the Convention contributes to the development of uniform digital standards and reduces customs clearance time at borders.
The Common Transit Convention and the Convention on the Simplification of Formalities in Trade in Goods are international agreements aimed at simplifying the movement of goods between countries through uniform customs procedures and the NCTS (New Computerized Transit System) electronic system.
Convention participants can file a transit declaration once for the entire route chain, which reduces administrative costs and speeds up the delivery of goods. For countries seeking integration with the EU, participation in the NCTS system opens up access to a single digital customs space and increases attractiveness for businesses, especially logistics and export-import companies.
Serbia officially acceded to the Convention on February 1, 2016. On that day, the country began practical application of the NCTS system.
https://t.me/relocationrs/1614
On November 7, 2025, the National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine (NALU) and Yuridicheskaya Praktika publishing house will hold an official presentation of the opening of the Higher School of Lobbying in Ukraine. The event will be a key step in forming a new professional community of specialists working at the intersection of business, government, and civil society.
The Higher School of Lobbying was created to develop ethical, transparent, and effective practices for representing interests in public policy. Its goal is to lay the foundation for the professional training of a new generation of lobbyists who operate according to the principles of integrity, responsibility, and the rule of law.
During the event, there will be a presentation lecture on the new NALU educational course “Lobbying and Advocacy: The Art of Influencing Public Policy,” which will familiarize listeners with the training program and basic topics of the course.
Leading experts will share their knowledge:
• Lyudmila Kozhura, Doctor of Law, Professor, Director of the Vadym Hetman KNEU Law Institute — will reveal the legal basis of lobbying and international standards for its regulation.
• Iryna Shapovalova, Deputy Chair of the NALU Board, will focus on ethical standards and the culture of professional lobbying.
• Yana Tsymbalenko, Associate Professor at Igor Sikorsky KPI, expert on corruption prevention, will give a lecture on the risks of shadow lobbying and the principles of transparency.
Members of the NALU Board of Trustees, representatives of the business, legal, and educational communities will take part in the event. After the official part, there will be networking with guests and communication with teachers and project organizers.
The venue will be announced later for security reasons.
Follow the official announcements of the National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine, register to participate, and join the community at: info@unla.org.ua.
The National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine (NALU) brings together lawyers, financial experts, and attorneys to promote investment and protect business interests.
Yuridicheskaya Praktika is a leading Ukrainian media outlet specializing in law and jurisprudence, founded in 1995, with print and electronic versions.
Shareholders of the insurance company “Suzirya” (Kyiv) Oleksiy Tugay, who owned 20.009% of the insurer, reduced his stake to 0%, according to information posted by the company in the information disclosure system of the National Securities and Stock Market Commission (NSSMC).
At the same time, it is noted that Natalia Oksenko, who owned 4.947% of the insurer, increased her stake to 8.495%, and Anna Pysmenna, who previously did not own any shares, now owns 8.849%.
The insurance company provides almost all types of insurance specified by the current legislation of Ukraine.
According to the NSSMC, in the first quarter of 2025, the company’s shareholders were Rostislav Pokrovsky (73.037%) and Oleksiy Tugay (20.009%).
In September, the Chinese economy showed higher-than-expected growth rates in industry and retail trade, indicating a gradual recovery in domestic demand and business activity.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, industrial production grew by 6.5% year-on-year, the highest rate since June. In August, growth was 5.2%, and analysts had expected a slowdown to 5%.
The largest contributors were:
manufacturing — +7.3%,
mining — +6.4%,
oil and gas — +8.9%,
automobile production — +16%,
computers and telecommunications equipment — +11.3%.
Growth was recorded in 36 of 41 sectors of the economy. Overall, industrial production increased by 6.2% in the first nine months of 2025 compared to the same period last year.
Retail sales in September grew by 3% year-on-year. This is slightly less than in August (3.4%), but still better than analysts’ forecasts (2.9%).
The largest increases were in sales of food products (+6.3%), jewelry (+9.7%), and clothing (+4.7%). Car sales rose by 1.6%, while petroleum product sales fell by 7.1%.
Since the beginning of the year, retail turnover has reached 36.6 trillion yuan (about $5.1 trillion), which is 4.5% more than a year earlier.
Investments in fixed assets as a whole declined slightly, by 0.5%, mainly due to a decline in the construction sector (-13.9%). At the same time, investments in infrastructure and manufacturing grew by 1.1% and 4%, respectively.
The unemployment rate in September fell to 5.2% from 5.3% a month earlier.
Experts from the Experts Club analytical center note that the Chinese economy remains stable despite the slowdown in global demand and difficulties in the real estate sector.
Reference: Experts Club.
For several years now, China has ranked first in the world in terms of economic size, calculated in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP), ahead of the US and the EU. This confirms its status as the largest industrial and consumer center on the planet.
