Ukraine and Turkey have discussed access to the market of agricultural goods and the services market during the 10th round of negotiations on the free trade area (FTA), as well as the provisions of the agreement related to telecom and e-commerce, Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Trade Representative of Ukraine Natalia Mykolska has said. “The round was not an easy one, since we defend the opening of the most profitable opportunities of the Turkish market for Ukraine and Ukrainian exporters. So we used this opportunity to address the issues of access to agricultural markets,” she wrote on her Facebook page on Saturday.
She also pointed out significant progress in the above-mentioned issues: “We are moving intensely, as both sides have an understanding that the agreement is in the priority of the governments of the two countries.”
Earlier, the trade representative said that Ukraine and Turkey had agreed to complete negotiations on the FTA in the near future.
The Novus Ukraine retail supermarket chain plans to open seven new stores in Kyiv by the end of 2018, the company’s press service has reported. According to the report, the Novus chain in April was expanded to 39 outlets, after the opening of a store at 4A, Heroyiv Stalinhradu Avenue. The retail area of the two-story store is 921 square meters.
As reported, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) opened a credit line of up to $25 million to Novus Ukraine for seven years to support the expansion of the Novus supermarket chain. In addition, according to the EBRD, Novus will receive a $500,000 grant from the FINTECC (the Finance and Technology Transfer Centre for Climate Change) to support energy saving technologies.
BT Invest was set up in 2008 by former stockholders in Sandora juice producer Raimondos Tumenas and the late Ihor Bezzub. The company owns the Novus chain, Stolitsa Group that implements real estate projects in Kyiv city and region and acts as an investment partner in construction of the Retroville shopping center. BT Invest also owns a business center in Lithuania. BT Invest jointly with Ukrainian partners is realizing a new infrastructure project – a seaport in Mykolaiv.
The Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine in 2016 allowed companies Numb Holdings Limited, Skopian Holdings Limited, Sopason Holdings Limited (all based in Nicosia, Cyprus), BT Invest Ukraine and Novus Ukraine (both LLC, Kyiv) to acquire stakes in the charter capital of construction companies Lisovy Zatyshok, Esvalda, Chervona kapeliushka, Konserela Ukraine (all LLC, Kyiv) and Steel-Invest (Boryspil, Kyiv region).
The Ukrainian Ministry of Infrastructure considers it necessary to invest in the construction and repair of runways at regional airports, Ukrainian Minister of Infrastructure Volodymyr Omelyan has said on the air of Channel Five. “A lot of airlines are ready to enter Ukrainian regional airports, but there are no conditions for that. There are no runways, there are no terminals that would accelerate servicing, while this is one of the key issues for low cost air carriers. Therefore we must invest in the runways as a state to get a highly competitive market and business for the state as well,” he said.
According to Omelyan, the development of airports will ensure a quick return on investment. Earlier, the minister said that the reconstruction of the airport in Odesa is to be completed in 2019. It is also planned to additionally allocate UAH 1.17 billion for the construction of a runway at Odesa airport. According to the Ministry of Infrastructure, the construction of a new runway will allow Odesa airport to accept heavier aircraft, including Boeing-767, which, in turn, can double passenger traffic.
One troy ounce=31.10 grams
The markets of China, Ukraine, Argentina, South Africa and Turkey are the most vulnerable among all developing countries in terms of financing needs, reserve adequacy, asset valuation, institutional quality and trade resilience, according to a review by the analysts of the Institute of International Finance (IIF). Experts in May reevaluated the potential changes in investors’ interest in the assets of these countries amidst the strengthening of the U.S. dollar exchange rate, the growth of interest rates and the intensification of trade disputes.
The IIF considers the assets of Russia, the Czech Republic, Colombia, Brazil and the Philippines less exposed to such risks.
Turkey, Argentina, the Republic of South Africa, Ukraine and India have the highest need for financing, the IIF analysts believe.
The most notable improvement compared to the previous year, including that in terms of reducing needs for funding and increasing the attractiveness of assets, was demonstrated by Indonesia. In addition, the situation has improved in Malaysia, Chile, Egypt, and Brazil.
India’s position has worsened significantly, which is largely due to an increase in the deficit of the current account of its balance of payments. A comparative increase of risks is also observed in Turkey, Poland, and Ukraine.
ARGENTINA, CHINA, INSTITUTE, INTERNATIONAL FINANCE, MARKETS, SOUTH AFRICA, TURKEY
