KYIV. Oct 9 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Businessmen from Iran are interested in leasing of Ukrainian farmland for planting wheat, corn, soybeans, rapeseeds and other crops, according to a posting on the website of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Ukraine.
“Members of the delegation are interested in involvement in exterritorial agriculture – leasing of farmland for planting wheat, corn, soybeans, rapeseeds and other crops. The initial figure for leasing is 5,000 ha. The ambitious project is intended to provide the Persian Gulf market with agricultural products, as there is a high need in them on this market,” the chamber said after a meeting of its leaders with a delegation from Iran.
The sides also discussed the possibility of buying agricultural companies and create joint ventures with Ukrainian partners. In addition, Iran is interested in purchase of finished products.
The chamber said that a total of 40 companies with Iranian capital are registered in Ukraine now. The share of Ukrainian food exported to Iran exceeds 60% of their total exports. Currently Iran is the active importer of Ukrainian grain.
KYIV. Oct 9 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine Hugues Mingarelli believes that improvement of business climate and rule of law is obligatory for attracting investment in the country.
“I insist on the fact that for us, tariffs and quotas are not the main obstacle to trade. The main obstacle today… are norms and standards… there is a need, obviously, to improve the business climate,” he said speaking at the 4th Kyiv International Economic Forum on Friday, October 6.
Mingarelli said that Ukraine has fantastic assets that are interesting for investors.
“Still any investor hesitates to invest in Ukraine. Why? Because the risks are too high. Which kind of risk? The risk which is linked to the absence of the rule of law,” the diplomat said.
The ambassador said that every week European companies in Ukraine face the harassment from law enforcement agencies and raids. European companies do not trust courts because of the high level of corruption in the justice.
“If we manage to establish a decent level of the rule of law in this country, foreign companies, including EU ones, will rush to invest in Ukraine, because Ukraine has so many assets,” he said.
KYIV. Oct 9 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The multi-sector holding OKKO Group, which includes the OKKO filling station chain (Galnaftogaz Concern), intends to import natural gas for the needs of own businesses and for selling it on the Ukrainian market, planning first supplies from Poland this month.
“The current liberalization gives us a chance of not only starting in this business successfully, but also becoming a noticeable player on the Ukrainian gas market,” OKKO Group Vice President Yuriy Kuchabsky said last week.
He said that the group wants to use experience accumulated during the imports of fuel in the new business and a large database of clients in Ukraine.
OKKO said that the company has received a license from the National Commission for Energy, Housing and Utilities Services Regulation (NCER) and held negotiations with potential suppliers.
OKKO seeks to switch to gas purchase directly at the European gas hubs in the future.
According to the press release, the group will offer a price package for natural gas and fuel. The company is mulling sales of gas via the ProZorro e-procurement system.
OKKO incorporates over 10 various businesses in production, trade, construction, insurance, servicing and other sectors.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Goldman Sachs, Horizon Capital, Renaissance Capital, Genesis Asset Managers, LLP and other companies are shareholders and institutional investors in the holding.
KYIV. Oct 9 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Mariupol Illich Steel Works (Donetsk region) has signed a contract with Primetals Technologies Austria GmbH to supply equipment for reconstruction of the 1700 slitting lines shop worth over $25 million.
The enterprise said in a press release last week that under the contract the Austrian partner will design the project’s engineering documents in details and in 2018 the equipment will be supplied. The equipment will increase effectiveness of the shop, improves the quality of the products and reduce waste in slabbing.
The startup works are scheduled for 2019.
Earlier in August 2017, Mariupol Illich Steel Works and Primetals signed a contract to design basic engineering documents for reconstruction of the slitting lines shop. Total investment of Metinvest in the project will be $85.5 million.
Since 2016, the sides are also implementing a project on building a continuous -casting machine worth $150 million.
KYIV. Oct 9 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Mariupol Illich Steel Works (Donetsk region) has signed a contract with Primetals Technologies Austria GmbH to supply equipment for reconstruction of the 1700 slitting lines shop worth over $25 million.
The enterprise said in a press release last week that under the contract the Austrian partner will design the project’s engineering documents in details and in 2018 the equipment will be supplied. The equipment will increase effectiveness of the shop, improves the quality of the products and reduce waste in slabbing.
The startup works are scheduled for 2019.
Earlier in August 2017, Mariupol Illich Steel Works and Primetals signed a contract to design basic engineering documents for reconstruction of the slitting lines shop. Total investment of Metinvest in the project will be $85.5 million.
Since 2016, the sides are also implementing a project on building a continuous -casting machine worth $150 million.
KYIV. Oct 6 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Egypt plans to accept about 600,000 Ukrainian tourists in 2017, the growth of tourist flow for the eight months of 2017 was 120%, Head of Egypt’s National Tourism Organization Hisham El Demery has said.
“During the eight months of 2017 Egypt had already accepted 430,000 Ukrainian tourists,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the 25th International Tourism Salon “Ukraine” in Kyiv.
According to the official, at present Egypt intends to actively develop new kinds of tourism for the country, in particular, excursion, medical and pilgrimage tourism.
“The Egyptian government supports different types of tourism, not only related to the sea and the beach,” he said.
According to him, progress in the treatment of hepatitis C will contribute to the development of medical tourism in Egypt. Patients will get not only treatment but also rehabilitation.
For the development of pilgrimage tours Egypt intends to propose a program within which pilgrims can stay in the country for up to 3.5 years, making trips to 25 locations.
He said he hopes Ukraine will abolish the recommendation not to visit a number of Egyptian cities the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine issued.
