The Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB) is considering a portfolio of projects in Ukraine for possible implementation in the amount of $155 million, including road infrastructure, agribusiness, commercial property, financial facilities, bank’s president Dmytro Pankin said.
In an interview with Interfax-Ukraine, he said that in 2021 the bank has updated its trade financing mechanism in the amount of $5 million with Creditwest Bank, and also completed operations to provide a number of loans: $15 million to Interpipe to support the company in the debt capital markets and modernization of production facilities, some $20 million to a chain of furniture shopping centers Araks to improve energy efficiency, some $23 million to Epicenter to improve agricultural infrastructure.
With regard to the project announced in 2020 with Halnaftogaz, Pankin said the bank was successfully cooperating with the company, but, unfortunately, could not agree on the price of the operation announced last summer.
“The bank is ready to consider other opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation with the company in the future,” the BSTDB president said.
He also said the bank is developing financing and placement of securities in local currency in member countries to provide loans in local currency to businesses in these countries. According to him, BSTDB was the first multilateral development bank to offer such operations in Azerbaijan and Armenia.
“As for Ukraine, at present the market situation does not allow us to attract local currency by issuing domestic bonds at a cost that would allow us to offer attractive prices for Ukrainian borrowers,” Pankin said.
DYNAMICS OF CHANGES IN DISCOUNT RATE OF NBU
DTEK Energy Holding has not abandoned plans to invest in the generation of electricity from renewable sources in Europe, and is now exploring opportunities for this in different countries, CEO of DTEK Renewables Maris Kuniсkis has said.
“Yes, this is in our focus. Plans to invest in Europe remain. As long as there is no stability in Ukraine, we focus on abroad,” he said during the 12th International Ukrainian Energy Forum of the Adam Smith Institute on Friday.
At the same time, he said that, since the market in Europe is also changing, the company has to reorient itself to other countries, abandoning the development of projects in those that were considered in 2020. In addition, Kuniсkis did not disclose the details of possible projects.
Cargill became the majority (51%) owner of a joint venture with Neptune Port Holding B.V. brothers Yehor Hrebennikov and Andriy Stavnitser of M.V. Cargo LLC, a grain terminal Neptune with a design capacity of 5 million tonnes per year in Pivdenny port in the Black Sea.
“Neptune is meeting the growing demand for deep water port infrastructure in Ukraine by giving farmers access to new distant markets,” Cargill said in a statement on Friday.
The U.S. company said that in 2016 it signed an agreement with Stavnitser and Hrebennikov on the construction of the terminal, which started operation in 2019.
“Neptune is strengthening Cargill’s port infrastructure in the Black Sea region, therefore, we continue to invest in the agricultural sector of Ukraine,” Cargill said.
Neptune handles various types of grains and oilseeds, primarily maize, barley and wheat, with a depth of 16 meters at the terminal berth, which allows it to receive large-tonnage vessels. Cargill is an important user of the terminal, exporting a significant portion of the products purchased in Ukraine from it, but Neptune serves other customers as well.
“In short: Cargill had an obligation to enter the project, and we signed to bring the terminal to the level of Cargill’s space standards. Now Yehor and I are practically equal partners with the largest private food corporation in the world,” Stavnitser said on Facebook.
He said that in 2014, when the war broke out, an oil extraction plant in Donetsk was taken away from the U.S. investor, but Cargill was persuaded to make a new investment in Ukraine.
Stavnitser said that two years after the launch and in the process of completion, Neptune became grain terminal No. 2 on the Black Sea in terms of cargo turnover.
The statement does not contain information about the cost of the transaction. It is said that Cargill, as the majority shareholder, will lead the strategic development of the Neptune terminal, with a local team responsible for operational management.
Mauritius has allowed Ukrainian citizens to enter the country for tourist purposes, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has reported.
“Even in the difficult conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is systematically working to constantly expand the freedom of travel for Ukrainian citizens. We are opening new directions and routes, simplifying the entry regime, concluding visa-free agreements, agreeing on the recognition of vaccination certificates and the inclusion of Ukraine into national ‘green lists.’ Everything is being done so that Ukrainians can travel around the world freely and safely,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said on Facebook, citing Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
According to an interactive map of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the entry of Ukrainian citizens to Mauritius is allowed provided that they stay in self-isolation for two weeks from the moment of arrival and prepayment for the hotel where self-isolation will take place, as well as a negative test for coronavirus, made no later than 72 hours before arrival in country.
While in self-isolation, it is mandatory to re-take the coronavirus test on the 7th and 14th day of being in quarantine.
The Digital Transformation Ministry of Ukraine will cooperate with Amazon Web Services to accelerate the development of cloud technologies in the country, digital transformation and innovation.
The corresponding memorandum of cooperation was signed by Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov with Amazon in London.
“Another global technology giant has begun to work in Ukraine. The beginning of our cooperation is a positive signal to other large international companies and brands that it is possible and necessary to enter Ukraine,” he said on Telegram.
According to the minister, the ministry, together with Amazon, will develop skills in working with cloud technologies: Ukrainian universities will be able to join the AWS Academy program for free, modernize IT systems and agency policies in the field of cloud technologies; implement the ministry’s strategies for the development of IT infrastructure and the diffusion of cloud technologies (in particular, through the development of small and medium-sized businesses and start-ups that use cloud solutions).
“And this is just the beginning. I am glad to welcome Amazon in Ukraine,” Fedorov said.
