Entry for Ukrainians has already been opened in 25 countries amid coronavirus (COVID-19) disease, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said.
“At the recent briefing, I announced 23 countries that Ukrainians could go to. There are 25 counties now. The Bahamas (I agree that it is distant place, but attractive for travelers) and Lebanon (less popular place for Ukrainian travelers) are added,” Kuleba said at an online briefing on Tuesday.
Earlier, the minister named 23 countries that Ukrainians can also visit: Turkey, Serbia, Albania, Northern Macedonia, Montenegro, Belarus, Great Britain, the United States, Mexico, Egypt, Tunisia, the Republic of Korea, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Zambia, Tanzania, Burundi and the Seychelles.
The minister spoke about the resource tripadvisor.mfa.gov.ua, which was developed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, where people can get the most complete information about which country and by what rules entry is allowed.
Kuleba spoke about the rules of entry into countries that are popular among Ukrainians.
“Turkey: it is necessary to undergo a medical examination at the border, in case of COVID-19 symptoms, do a free PCR test, have insurance policy for COVID-19 disease, you can buy it online or from a tour operator, or directly at the airport. Entry into Serbia is allowed without restrictions. The result of the PCR test or the obligation to pass a 14-day lockdown is necessary,” he said.
The foreign minister said that the condition for obtaining a permit to enter Croatia for those who are going for tourist purposes is also the presence of a confirmation of the booking the hotel or apartment.
“Entry into Montenegro is also a popular vacation destination and is allowed, but for those who leaving Serbia, a 14-day observation in a lockdown facility is required. The Bahamas: prior to departure, permission must be obtained on the Bahamas Travel Agency’s website and on arrival you must show the results of a negative test. Tunisia: the result of the PCR test and lockdown from 7 to 14 days are required,” Kuleba said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has held a phone conversation with Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva to inform her about his plans to nominate a candidate for governor of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) by the end of the week.
“Informed Kristalina Georgieva that by the end of the week I will have a new candidate for Head of the NBU for Parliament’s approval. It will be an independent technocrat, who will continue the Bank’s independent course. I make all my decisions only in the interests of the Ukrainian people,” the head of state said on Twitter on Tuesday.
The Hungarian low cost airline Wizz Air intends to launch a flight from Abu Dhabi (the UAE) to Odesa from October 2020 due to the opening of an air carrier base in Abu Dhabi. Wizz Air’s press service said the flights will start on October 1 and will be operated on Thursdays and Sundays. A ticket price is from UAH 869 one way.
In addition, the airline launches flights from Abu Dhabi to Kutaisi, Alexandria, Athens, Larnaca and Yerevan.
“We are pleased to announce the further expansion of the Wizz route network in Ukraine, adding a new flight to Abu Dhabi. Since we invite even more passengers to use our services and scale up our activities, we have also introduced new safety rules to guarantee the health and well-being of passengers and crews while traveling with Wizz,” Wizz Air corporate communications manager Paulina Gosk said.
As reported, in early July, Wizz Air opened the second base in Ukraine at Lviv International Airport.
Wizz Air is the largest low cost carrier in Central and Eastern Europe. The airline fleet consists of 120 Airbus A320 and Airbus A321 aircraft.
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, has issued a $100-million senior loan to ProCredit Holding to be channeled to ProCredit banks in nine countries to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in multiple vulnerable economies, including Ukraine.
According to IFC, the project was approved on June 18 and necessary documents were signed on July 9.
ProCredit will channel the financing to its subsidiaries in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ecuador, Kosovo, Moldova, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, and Ukraine.
At the beginning of July, the European Investment Bank (EIB) decided to provide Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova with EUR 55 million through ProCredit Bank in the respective countries to support SMEs within mitigating the effects of the economic shock.
ProCredit Bank in Ukraine was founded in 2001. At the beginning of 2020, its sole shareholder was ProCredit Holding (100% of the shares).
According to the National Bank of Ukraine, as of May 1, 2020 ProCredit Bank ranked 14th among 75 banks operating in the country in terms of total assets (UAH 25.646 billion).
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine supported bill No.2285-d on state regulation on organizing and conducting the gambling activity.
Some 248 MPs voted for relevant bill No. 2285-d at second reading at a meeting on Tuesday.
The law establishes a list of gambling activities that are permitted in Ukraine. In particular, it includes gambling in casino and online gambling establishments, betting activities at betting shops and via the Internet, issuing and conducting lotteries, and playing poker via the Internet.
The law allows the placement of casinos in Kyiv on the territory of five-star hotels, and for other settlements the law allows them to be placed in hotels of four and five star categories.
MPs also returned the requirement to place gambling establishments at a distance of at least 500 meters from educational institutions, and also expanded the circle of people who could apply to the court with a statement of limitation.
The law also provides for an online gaming machine monitoring system.
The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation together with the Health Ministry of Ukraine have launched the project titled “Mental Health in Ukraine”, Deputy Health Minister Iryna Sadoviak said.
“Last week, with the assistance of the Ministry of Health, the project “Mental Health in Ukraine” was launched. On behalf of the ministry, I would like to emphasize the importance of the project and cooperation with international partners, in particular, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, which is the implementer of the project,” she said at a press briefing in Kyiv on Tuesday.
The deputy minister said that the ministry alongside prepares an action plan to implement the concept of psychiatric care development.
“In 2018, the Cabinet of Ministers approved a concept for the psychiatric care development by a resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers. It provides for the creation of a holistic system of mental health care and elaboration of all effective routes for the patient. The concept provides that the focus of psychiatric care will be on an outpatient level, rather than in hospitals. In the near future, the ministry will present an action plan to implement this concept,” she said.
“I would like to draw attention to the fact that in Ukraine psychiatric care is focused on the provision of inpatient care. There are 56 mental hospitals in total, with 27,000 beds. This is a large number. To switch to outpatient care, we work on changing the patient’s routes. Most patients who stay in hospitals, they don’t need such help, they need social support. The project that we are implementing includes stages of intersectoral cooperation. We will attract communities, social protection departments, the Ministry of Education. To effectively provide assistance in psychiatry, it is necessary to identify problems on the primary level,” the deputy minister said.
