Ukraine occupies an important place in the discussions of the leaders of the G7 countries, said President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
“Ukraine is high on our common agenda. The G7 supports Ukraine’s territorial integrity and stands ready to assist in its reform efforts. Ukraine needs strong institutions acting based on the rule of law,” she wrote on Twitter on Saturday.
On Tuesday, June 15, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal will take part in the “Ukraine 30. Economy without oligarchs” All-Ukrainian Forum, which will be held in Kyiv on June 14 to June 16.
According to the forum’s program, the opening of the Ukraine 30. Economy without oligarchs All-Ukrainian Forum is scheduled for Monday, June 14, with the participation of Prime Minister Shmyhal at 10:30.
On Tuesday, June 15, President Volodymyr Zelensky will speak at 10:30, and Prime Minister Shmyhal will speak at 10:40.
On Wednesday, June 16, the third day of the forum will be opened by Head of the State Property Fund Dmytro Sennychenko.
Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova signed an agreement on the lease of the premises, which will house the new consulate of Ukraine in the state of Texas, according to the Ukrainian Embassy in the United States.
“Today we took another important step towards the opening of the Consulate General of Ukraine in Houston, Texas. Ambassador Oksana Markarova signed a lease agreement for the premises where the new foreign diplomatic institution of Ukraine in the United States will officially be located,” the message on the Facebook social network says.
“We are very pleased with the opportunity to increase and develop the Ukrainian presence in the American regions. South America has a large and active Ukrainian society, as well as great potential for the development of new strategic directions of the Ukrainian-American partnership,” the embassy said.
Coke and chemical plants of Ukraine in January-May of this year imported 4 million tonnes of raw coking coal and coking coal concentrate, which is 4.2% more than in the same period last year.
According to an information note of the Ukrmetalurgprom association, the supply of Ukrainian coal mined during this period amounted to 1.64 million tonnes, which is 8.6% more than in the same period last year.
In general, in January-May 2021, Ukrainian coke and chemical plants received 5.64 million tonnes of coal for coking, which is 5.4% more compared to January-May 2020. At the same time, the share of imported coal in the total supply amounted to 70.9% versus 71.8% in January-May 2020.
Some 3.424 million tonnes of coke (101.8% compared to January-May 2020) were supplied to Ukrainian metallurgical enterprises, including 3.346 million tonnes of Ukrainian origin (100.3%), and 68,000 tonnes of imported (4.53 times more). The share of imported coke in the total supply amounted to 1.99% versus 0.45% in January-May last year.
In addition, in January-May 2021, some 1.5 million tonnes of scrap metal were procured (134.8% compared to the same period in 2020), of which 1.354 million tonnes (123.5%) were supplied to Ukrainian consumers as imported. Exports of scrap metal in January-May 2021 amounted to 146,000 tonnes (887%).
It is noted that the provision of metallurgical enterprises with Ukrainian iron ore raw materials for the specified period was carried out in accordance with the needs of metallurgical production. The iron ore was not imported. Iron ore exports in January-May 2021 amounted to 18.54 million tonnes (98.2% compared to the same period in 2020).
According to the updated data of Ukrmetalurgprom, in January-May of this year, 14.029 million tonnes of sinter were produced (107.8% versus January-May 2020), 4.107 million tonnes of gross coke with moisture content 6% (102.2%), some 8.903 million tonnes of cast iron (109.1%), some 8.987 million tonnes of steel (108.3%), some 8.023 million tonnes of rolled products (108%), and 390,000 tonnes of pipe products (115.8%).
As of June 10, 2021, of the main operating production facilities 18 out of 21 blast furnaces, seven out of eight open-hearth furnaces, 14 out of 16 converters, five out of 15 electric furnaces and 16 out of 17 continuous casting machines were in operation.
Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal says that as a result of the public administration reform, the maximum number of civil servants in the central executive authorities and their territorial units should decrease by about 10%.
“Efficiency in the work of civil servants should be in the first place. The government is taking important steps to complete the reform of public administration. As part of this initiative, the maximum number of civil servants in the central administrative office and their territorial units should be reduced by about 10%,” Shmyhal said in the Telegram channel.
The prime minister said that a bill is also being prepared to reform the system of remuneration of civil servants based on the classification of positions, which will make it impossible to pay allowances to officials on a subjective basis and will increase the prestige of the civil service.
“The key steps in the implementation of the project were discussed at a meeting with the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers, the Finance Ministry, the Ministry of Digital Transformation and the National Civil Service Agency. These four departments will be the first to introduce a new financial model. And then, the remuneration system should make money in other public institutions,” Shmyhal said.
OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde will pay a working visit to Ukraine on June 13 to June 15.
“This will be the second visit of Ann Linde to our country from the beginning of the Swedish chairmanship in the OSCE, which confirms Sweden’s priority attention to the issue of ending the Russian Federation’s armed aggression against Ukraine,” the press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.
The key subjects of the talks between Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Ann Linde will be the security situation in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, efforts for a political and diplomatic settlement of the Russian-Ukrainian armed conflict, the activities of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, and freedom of navigation in the Azov and Black Seas.
The ministers will also discuss the development of the political dialogue between Ukraine and Sweden, the increase in trade and investment, the strengthening of interaction in international organizations, the intensification of cooperation in the cultural and humanitarian sectors.
The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office will visit, along with the Ukrainian MFA leadership, the area of the Joint Force Operation, where she will personally get acquainted with the activities of the OSCE SMM in Ukraine and the consequences of the Russian armed aggression, the peculiarities of the movement of ships in the Black and Azov Seas.
On June 15, Kuleba and Linde will hold a joint press conference.
