On February 10 this year, the first freight train was sent from China to Afghanistan via a new direct rail route connecting the two countries through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The train, carrying 55 containers of communication equipment manufactured by the Chinese telecommunications concern ZTE, departed from Chongqing’s Tuanjetsun station to Afghanistan’s Hairaton.
The train will cross the border at the Khorgos checkpoint in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and reach its destination in Khairaton via Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
The entire journey is expected to take 12-15 days. “By using the direct rail freight transportation scheme, transportation time will be reduced by 3-5 days compared to road transportation, and logistics costs are expected to be reduced by 15-20%. This will strengthen the safety and efficiency of transportation and supply of goods,” said Liu Jianfeng, a ZTE employee.
The opening of the direct freight route will further strengthen trade and economic cooperation and exchanges between Chongqing and Afghanistan, as well as with other Central Asian countries.
President of the European Council Antonio Costa and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will visit Uzbekistan on April 3-4 to participate in the first EU-Central Asia Summit.
The summit will be chaired by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and will be attended by the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
During the summit, the EU is expected to reaffirm its commitment to expanding cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including transport and digital interconnectivity – within the region and with the EU, strategic raw materials, economy and security, and the transition to clean and efficient energy sources.
“The first EU-Central Asia Summit will strengthen our commitment to work together for peace, security and sustainable development, in full respect of international law,” said António Costa.
Prices for extra-virgin milk in Ukraine in January 2025 decreased by 8% to 18.5 UAH/kg compared to December 2024, according to the Union of Dairy Enterprises of Ukraine (UDEP).
Analysts noted that milk prices in January 2025 were 23% higher than in January 2024 and 33% higher than in June 2024.
At the same time, the growth rate of raw milk prices in Ukraine (in UAH) in the second half of 2014 was 2.3 times higher than in the EU (in EUR – 1.8 times). The average price in January 2025, expressed in EUR (for the domestic quality basis), amounted to almost EUR 42.7/100 kg – compared to EUR 45.7/100 kg in December 2024 and EUR 44.7 in November 2024.
“The price in EUR decreased by almost 7% compared to December 2024, and by 5.5% compared to November 2024. At the same time, the price increased by 34% compared to June 2024; by 18.5% compared to January 2024. The average price, expressed in euros and converted to the euro base, decreased to EUR47.3/100 kg in January 2024 – from almost EUR51/100 kg in December 2024,” the UMPA stated.
The experts drew attention to the fact that the ratio between the price levels in Ukraine and the EU/Poland in January 2024 was 87% to the EU average and 82.5% to the Polish average.
“The respective ratios have “rolled back” to the level of October 2024 – the competitiveness of domestic dairy products has increased in January 2025,” the industry association summarized.
Companies from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are ready to invest in the production of processed foods, grain transshipment and port development, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food has reported.
According to the ministry, during a working visit to Saudi Arabia, Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Vitaliy Koval and a government delegation headed by First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko met with more than 20 leading UAE companies. Among them are port operators, investment, agricultural and trading companies interested in import and export cooperation with Ukraine.
“Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates have opened a new page in economic partnership. Among the UAE companies there are those that are ready to enter the Ukrainian market. In particular, to invest in the production of processed products, such as oilseeds, rapeseed, soybeans. As well as grain transshipment and port infrastructure development,” Koval said.
The Minister emphasized that the Ukrainian agricultural sector is already actively working with the UAE. In 2024, we exported more than $197 million worth of agricultural products. Among the most popular products were fats and oils of animal or vegetable origin, meat and edible offal, cereals, vinegar, etc.
As reported, the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between Ukraine and the UAE was signed in Abu Dhabi on February 17. It provides for free trade between the two countries and liberalization of access to the UAE market for Ukrainian agricultural products, including duty-free supplies of beef, lamb, dairy and processed foods. In addition, the Saudi side has expressed interest in joint development of beef cattle breeding and production of organic products.
After the full-scale invasion and blocking of seaports in 2022, Ukraine began to actively use land routes for exporting agricultural products, which significantly reduced the transit of agricultural products through the EU, according to the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club (UCAB).
Analysts noted that the maximum volume exported across the borders of neighboring countries was 3.7 million tons of grains, oilseeds and their products in August 2023, when the “grain corridor” had already stopped working and Ukraine’s own sea route had not yet started working.
Experts stated that the structure of exports by country was as follows: Romania – 73% of the total exported volume (thanks to the seaport of Constanta), Poland – 14%, Hungary – 9%, Moldova – 2%, and Slovakia – 2%.
“Establishing its own export route has allowed Ukraine to reduce transit through neighboring countries. Over the past 6 months of 2024, the average monthly volume of exports through neighboring countries decreased by 3.7 times compared to the peak figure and averaged 1.0 million tons of grains, oilseeds and processed products,” the UCAB emphasized.
At the same time, in December 2024, compared to the peak, exports through the Romanian border decreased by 8.2 times to 0.3 million tons, Polish – by 1.9 times to 0.3 million tons, Hungarian – by 1.9 times to 0.2 million tons, Moldovan – by 8.9 times to 0.01 million tons and Slovak – by 12.0 times to 0.01 million tons.
In January 2025, TAS Insurance Group (Kyiv) collected UAH 525.3 million in insurance premiums, which is 47% more than in the same period in 2024.
According to the insurer’s website, motor hull insurance premiums in January 2025 amounted to 9.54% of the total, or UAH 50.12 million, which is 7.7% lower than in January 2024; motor third party liability insurance premiums – 38.45%, or UAH 201.98 million, which is 2.1 times more, and Green Card premiums – 25.84%, or UAH 135.72 million (+46.9%).
Under voluntary health insurance contracts, TAS Group collected UAH 73.54 million in premiums, which is 5.3% lower than in the same period last year and accounts for 14.5% of total premiums.
Property insurance contracts attracted UAH 8.11 million of insurance premiums, which is 22.8% less than last year.
Under other insurance contracts, the company collected UAH 55.78 million, which is 2.1 times more than in January-2024.
As reported, in January 2025, TAS Insurance Group paid UAH 202.6 million under the concluded insurance contracts, which is 26.5% higher than the amount of indemnities paid by the company for the same month in 2024.
Out of the total volume, 27.63% of payments were made on motor hull insurance (UAH 56 million), which is 37% more than in January of the previous year, 31% or UAH 62.7 million (+7.8%) on MTPL, and 24.9% on Green Card.
The share of VHI in the company’s claims portfolio in December amounted to 15.9%, or UAH 32.13 million (+28.3%).
The company paid out UAH 14.82 million under other insurance contracts.
TAS Insurance Group was registered in 1998 and is a universal company offering more than 80 types of insurance products in various types of voluntary and compulsory insurance. It has an extensive regional network: 28 regional directorates and branches and 450 sales offices throughout Ukraine
