The Security Service of Ukraine has repeatedly summoned for questioning as witnesses in the “coal case” in which People’s Deputy Viktor Medvedchuk and the fifth President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko appear, ex-Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Arsen Avakov, former Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksandr Turchynov, head political council of the party “People’s Front” Arseniy Yatsenyuk.
“The SBU summons Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Oleksandr Turchynov, Arsen Avakov and Maxim Timchenko for interrogation in the so-called” coal case. They pass as witnesses and are called for the purpose of a comprehensive, complete and impartial study of the circumstances of the criminal proceedings,” SBU spokesman Artem Dekhtyarenko told Interfax-Ukraine.
He noted that these witnesses had been summoned for questioning on May 19, but did not appear. “They will be called again. This time on May 30,” the SBU spokesman specified.
As reported, the summons for interrogations were published on the website of the SBU. In them, in particular, it appears that Avakov, Turchynov and Yatsenyuk were summoned by subpoenas for May 19.
In addition, on the same day, DTEK CEO Maxim Timchenko was called in for questioning.
At a meeting with Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba asked Saudi Arabia to help solve the fuel crisis in Ukraine, and also discussed ways to unblock food exports from Ukraine to Arab and African countries.
“Met with my Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal Binh Farhan Al Saud. Ukraine and Saudi Arabia are friends and partners. Focused on ways to unlock Ukraine’s food exports to Arab and African countries. Kingdom can play an important role. I also asked Saudi Arabia to help us resolve our fuel crisis,” Kuleba tweeted on Wednesday.
On May 24, Ukraine received a JPY 13 billion or $100 million loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on concessional terms with maturity period of 30 years at 1% per annum with a grace period of 10 years, the Ministry of Finance has reported.
“The agreement is the first part of the agreed financial assistance between Ukraine and Japan,” the Finance Ministry said in a release on Tuesday.
The ministry said that the funds will be directed to the state budget to finance priority expenses, to support the most unprotected population of Ukraine, in particular, to ensure priority social and humanitarian expenses, and health care.
The Council of the European Union (EU) has adopted a regulation allowing for temporary trade liberalisation and other trade concessions with regard to certain Ukrainian products.
“We proposed it as a temporary measure, and it will make it easier for Ukraine to continue trading in the face of Russia’s aggression and will provide overall support to the Ukrainian economy,” Executive Deputy Chairman of the European Commission Valdis Dombrovskis said, commenting on the decision adopted by the EU Council on Tuesday.
The decision will suspend tariffs, which are still in place under the 2017 the Association Agreement between the EU and Ukraine establishing a deep and comprehensive free trade area (DCFTA), which liberalized much of the trade.
The suspension covers notably: industrial products subject to duty phase out by the end of 2022, fruits and vegetables subject to the entry-price system, and agricultural products and processed agricultural products subject to tariff-rate quotas, the collection of anti-dumping duties on imports originating in Ukraine, and the application of the common rules for imports with respect of imports originating in Ukraine.
The European Commission’sproposal has already been approved by the European Parliament, the law will enter into force after publication in the Official Journal of the EU.
Dombrovskis also said that the ministers of economy and finance of the EU countries discussed the European Commission’s proposal for short-term relief and long-term reconstruction, and more specifically, our proposal for an exceptional macro-financial assistance programme of EUR 9 billion. He said that “there was broad – in fact unanimous – support for a continued need to provide necessary support to Ukraine to face this aggression.”
Projects of modernization to the European standard of the track from the border to Lviv and Kovel are described in the National Transport Strategy and require more than $ 75 million investment, said former Deputy Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine for European Integration Viktor Dovgan to Interfax-Ukraine.
As reported, Prime Minister Denis Shmygal at a government meeting on Tuesday said that Ukraine will begin to gradually move to the European track to connect the Ukrainian railway with the EU, first connecting large hubs and large cities, and then gradually expanding across the country .
“Investments in such a large-scale project are unlikely, because 1 km of the European road – 1 million euros plus rolling stock. It is necessary to make short connections Lviv, Mukachevo, Chernivtsi and transfer. It is important to take an action plan of the National Transport Strategy. it is unrealistic to make a European track to Kyiv or Odessa at this stage, “Dovgan commented.
It will be recalled that in the Investment Atlas published by the Cabinet of Ministers at the end of 2020, two potential sections with the European standard of 1435 mm gauge were presented: Sknilov-Mostiska and Kovel-Yagodin-State Border.
The estimated cost of the Sknilov-Mostiska modernization project is $ 20.8 million, Kovel – Yagodin – State Border – $ 54.2 million.
In February 2022, Lviv OVA announced that within the framework of the presidential program “Big Construction” this year work will begin on the restoration of the 8-km Goskolitsa-Rava-Russkaya Eurorail, which they intend to implement within two years.
BORDER, EUROPEAN RAILWAY TRACK, INVESTMENT, LVIV, MODERNIZATION, КОВЕЛЬ
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that the main task of the international advisory group of specialists on security guarantees for Ukraine will be the development of such guarantees that will work throughout the life of many generations of Ukrainians.
According to him, the President’s Office and diplomats continue to work to ensure that Ukraine receives reliable guarantees of its own security after the end of the war.
“In particular, the international advisory group headed by Yermak and ex-NATO Secretary General Rasmussen was established. The group will include leading experts in the field of security and defense, diplomacy. Their task is to develop a format of guarantees that will really work, moreover, work not for several months or a year, but throughout the life of many generations of Ukrainians,” Zelensky said in an evening video message on Tuesday.
As reported, on Tuesday, May 24, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak announced the creation of an international advisory group that will provide proposals on security guarantees for Ukraine.
It will be headed by Andriy Yermak and ex-NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
