Due to the suspension of international flights by the Nepalese government until May 31, 2021, some 107 Ukrainian citizens had to stay in Nepal, mainly climbers and tourists, MFA Spokesperson Oleh Nikolenko said. “Some 45 people were accommodated in hotels in Kathmandu, they are provided with everything they need. The rest of the citizens are in the mountainous area. Four Ukrainians have been diagnosed with COVID-19, they are being provided with the necessary assistance. Their health condition is satisfactory,” Nikolenko told Interfax-Ukraine on Wednesday.
According to him, the Ukrainian Embassy in India maintains contact with compatriots directly or through representatives of travel companies who organized the relevant tours.
Nikolenko said that, in addition to the general group in the social network, a round-the-clock “hot line” of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine operates to process requests from citizens stuck in Nepal or their relatives: 044 238 1657, 044 238 1588. An honorary consul of Ukraine also works in Kathmandu to provide prompt consular assistance to Ukrainians.
“Diplomats are working to resolve the issue of the early return of Ukrainian citizens to their homeland. At the same time, they must understand that strict quarantine restrictions are in force in Nepal,” the speaker said.
Nikolenko said that now the possibility of Ukrainians leaving on repatriation flights of foreign countries is being considered.
“According to available information, Turkish Airlines submitted a request for permission from the Nepalese side to carry out charter flights to Nepal. We keep this case under control,” he said.
The Foreign Ministry spokesperson drew attention to the fact that a lot of inaccurate information is being circulated around the situation with our citizens in Nepal.
“I want to reassure everyone – we will not leave our people alone. The Ukrainian side also appealed to the Indian government with a request to allow the transit of our citizens through the territory of India,” he said.
In January-March 2021, Vodafone Ukraine (PrJSC VF Ukraine) reached an income of UAH 4.728 billion, which is 8% more than in the same period in 2020, the company said in its press release on Wednesday.
According to it, the company’s net profit for the first quarter amounted to UAH 888 million versus a loss of UAH 744 million in January-March 2020, which was associated with the exchange rate difference on the revaluation of $500 million eurobonds issued by Vodafone Ukraine in February 2020.
The operator’s OIBDA (Operating Income Before Depreciation and Amortization) increased by 9% compared to the first quarter of 2020 and reached UAH 2.558 billion. At the same time, the OIBDA margin increased by 0.8 percentage points (p.p.), to 51.1%.
“The main growth factor was the increase in consumption of data services. The number of date users in the Vodafone network at the end of March 2021 reached 12.4 million, or 66% of data users in the database,” the operator said.
At the end of the first quarter of 2021, some 81% of Ukrainians could use 4G in the Vodafone Ukraine network, the operator said in the press release.
According to the results of this reporting period, the company’s subscriber base amounted to 18.8 million, which is 3.6% less than in January-March 2021, while growth in the segment of contract connections continues, including an increase in the number of IoT users.
“A slight decrease in the subscriber base is due to the general tendency to refuse from second SIM-cards, which is caused by a decrease in the population’s income,” the operator said.
At the same time, ARPU increased by 16% to UAH 79.8.
The Cabinet of Ministers at a meeting on Wednesday voted in favor of a resolution on the establishment of the Bureau of Economic Security. According to the draft resolution, the new body is created as a body of central executive authority.
As the correspondent of Interfax-Ukraine reports, the government adopted the relevant document with a one-day revision.
“This is one of the final steps towards liquidation of the tax police,” Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.
As reported, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky on March 22 signed law on the Bureau of Economic Security of Ukraine No. 1150-IX, which the Verkhovna Rada adopted on January 28, 2021. According to the government’s priority action plan, the Bureau should start working in September 2021.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in May improved the forecast for the export of Ukrainian sunflowerseed oil in 2021/2022 (September-August) by 18.9% compared to 2020/21, to 6.4 million tonnes, with an increase in its production by 17.7%, to 6.99 million tonnes. According to the monthly report of the department, in 2021/2022, an increase in sunflowerseed production in Ukraine is expected by 18.4% compared to 2020/2021, to 16.7 million tonnes, sunflowerseed meal exports are expected to grow by 16.4%, to 5.3 million tonnes.
The USDA said that the growth in exports of sunflower oil and meal compared to the low level of the last marketing season will be due to the recovery of oil extraction volumes in Ukraine.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture also said that Ukraine rapeseed production is forecast to recover from last season’s low level, rising 200,000 tonnes to 3.0 million. Exports are projected to rise 190,000 tonnes to 2.6 million. Exports of rapeseed meal at 175,000 tonnes and oil at 165,000 tonnes are forecast to rise.
Odessa Airport, May 22, 12.00 – 14.00
For the first time in Ukraine!
Only 150 passengers of UIA’s unique flight will be the first to taste the top five Ukrainian wines – winners of the Odessa Wine & Spirit Awards All-Ukrainian tasting competition at an altitude of 10,000 meters – in combination with culinary specialties of Odessa and Bessarabian cuisine.
To emphasize the exquisite taste and aroma of the best wines of Ukraine, special tasting glasses of the world famous RIEDEL brand, provided by the MIRS Corporation, the official distributor of RIEDEL in Ukraine, will be used.
Individual tasting glasses and aprons will remain with the passengers of the flight as a memento of the unique air travel.
The tasting will be conducted by a highly qualified sommelier, and the on-board service will be provided by UIA flight attendants with diplomas in wine etiquette.
Air Tasting is a joint project of Odessa Wine Week and UIA to promote the Ukrainian wine brand.
We are bringing Ukrainian wine to a new height! We will take off with UIA on May 22 at 12.00.
Route: Odessa airport – horizontal flight with tasting at an altitude of 10,000 meters – Odessa airport.
The event is held with the assistance and full support of the Odessa International Airport.
Seats are limited, please send inquiries to excursion@flyuia.com.
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Odessa Wine Week is a series of events about wine, winemaking and wine and gastronomic tourism. It takes place in Odessa from May 18 to May 23.
Join this important event!
For media accreditation at Odessa Wine Week and detailed information about the project follow the link: https://odessawineweek.com/
Project news: https://www.facebook.com/odessawineweek/
General news partner of Odessa Wine Week: Interfax-Ukraine
Organizers of Odessa Wine Week:
Expo-Yug-Service company
Odessa National Academy of Food Technologies
Public Union UKRSADVINPROM
The net supply of foreign currency from the Ukrainian population since the beginning of the year as of May 11 amounted to $970 million, Head of the Council of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) Bohdan Danylyshyn has said.
“Net sales of foreign currency by the population from the beginning of the year to May 11 amounted to $706 million in cash transactions and $264 million in non-cash transactions,” he wrote on Facebook on Wednesday.
Danylyshyn said that in May the exchange rate of the hryvnia on the interbank FX market continued to strengthen for the third week in a row, reaching its high in the past month and a half amid an increase in the supply of foreign currency from the banks’ clients.
According to him, the FX reserves of the NBU as of May 11 amounted to $27.9 billion, which is 4%, or $1.2 billion less than at the beginning of the year, and 0.4%, or $100 million, less than at the beginning of the month.
The head of the NBU Council added that in April, the volume of transactions of banks’ clients with non-cash foreign currency, taking into account swap transactions, decreased 12.1% as for transactions for the sale of foreign currency and by 8.5% as for transactions for the purchase of foreign currency.
At the same time, the prevalence of demand for foreign currency over supply in respect of client operations in April amounted to $520 million (including $286.5 million on a forward basis) and was satisfied mainly through the sale of foreign currency by banks.
