Quotes of the interbank foreign exchange market of Ukraine (UAH per € 1, period from 01.03.21 to 31.03.21)
UKRAINIAN POPULATION BY REGIONS AS OF dEC 30, 2020 (graphically)
Fitch Ratings has affirmed Ukraine’s Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at ‘B’ with a stable outlook, the agency said on its website.
Ukraine intends to increase the inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) by 2025 to $15 billion per year, while at the end of 2020 their outflow amounted to $420 million, and in 2021 the National Bank predicts a recovery in FDI inflows at the level of $3 billion.
Ukraine in 2020 climbed from 80th to 63rd place in the Social Progress Index among 163 countries with score of 73.38 points versus 66.97 in 2019, according to the index data.
The Ministry for Development of Economy, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine estimates the drop in GDP in January 2021 at 2.6-2.8%, according to the January review of economic activity in the country posted on its website.
The total public debt of Ukraine in February 2021 increased by 0.74% in U.S. dollars, to $ 91.41 billion and decreased by 0.21% in hryvnias, to UAH 2.552 trillion, according to data on the website of the Ministry of Finance. The ministry said the total national debt decreased in hryvnia equivalent by UAH 5.28 billion, mainly due to a reduction in guaranteed debt.
The Ministry for Development of Economy, Trade and Agriculture maintains its forecast for the growth of Ukraine’s GDP in 2021 at 4.6%, Minister Ihor Petrashko, has said, commenting on a statement by Deputy Head of the Office of the President Yulia Svyrydenko about the expected GDP growth of 5.1% in 2021.
The deficit of Ukraine’s foreign trade in goods in February 2021 fell by 47.5%, to $0.32 billion, while the deficit of foreign trade in January-February 2021 slightly grew – by 5.9%, to $0.6 billion
The growth of consumer prices in Ukraine in February 2021 accelerated year-over-year to 7.5% from 6.1% in January and from 5% in December 2020, the State Statistics Service said.
The total public debt of Ukraine in February 2021 increased by 0.74% in U.S. dollars, to $ 91.41 billion and decreased by 0.21% in hryvnias, to UAH 2.552 trillion, according to data on the website of the Ministry of Finance.
Prices in Ukrainian industry in February 2021 increased by 7.8%, while in January 2021 – by 5.2%, and in December 2020 – by 1.8%, the State Statistics Service said.
Industrial production in Ukraine in February 2021 decreased by 4.6% compared to the pre-COVID February 2020, and adjusted for the effect of calendar days (last year was a leap year), the reduction was noticeably smaller – 2%, the State Statistics Service said.
The lack of institutional regulation in the agro-industrial complex led to a decrease in agricultural production by 11.5% in 2020 compared to the previous year, and crop production fell by 13.6%, Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine Roman Leshchenko said during a discussion of the draft National Economic Strategy 2030.
The transport companies of Ukraine in January 2021 reduced carriage of goods by 2.2% compared to January 2020, to 42.8 million tonnes, the State Statistics Service has said.
The Pivnichny (Northern) Economic Court of Appeal upheld an appeal of CJSC Philip Morris Ukraine and Philip Morris Sales and Distribution LLC in case No. 910/17723/19, canceled the decision of the Kyiv Economic Court dated August 5, 2020, and canceled the fines for a total amount of UAH 1.18 billion imposed on them in 2019 by the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU). According to the court’s decision, promulgated in the unified public register of court rulings, the Pivnichny Economic Court of Appeal ruled to invalidate paragraphs 1 and 11 of AMCU decision No. 697-r dated October 10, 2019 that concern the PMI group of companies, as well as invalidate paragraphs 3 and 4 of this solution.
In addition, the court ruled to collect UAH 14,400 of court fee from the AMCU in favor of OJSC Philip Morris Ukraine (the settlement of Dokuchayevske, Kharkiv region) and Philip Morris Sales and Distribution LLC (Kyiv).
The Pivnichny Economic Court of Appeal also ruled to return the materials of case No. 910/17723/19 to the Economic Court of the city of Kyiv.
The decision of the appellate instance entered into force from the date of its awarding.
As reported, the AMCU in October 2019 imposed a fine of UAH 6.5 billion on four tobacco producers and distributor Tedis Ukraine for anticompetitive concerted actions. Later, Philip Morris Ukraine paid a fine to the AMCU in the total amount of more than UAH 1.18 billion in order to avoid the accrual of penalties, but in February 2020, PMI submitted a notification to the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine that Ukraine had violated a number of obligations under investment protection agreements.
The companies of the Philip Morris International group on December 21, 2020 also filed a claim about bilateral investment arbitration against the government of Ukraine with the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (Washington, DC, the United States) in connection with the unfair, in their opinion, decision of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) to fine them UAH 1.2 billion in the case of the wholesale distributor Tedis Ukraine.
Ukraine, as a European country, has the right to become a member of the EU, but must first fulfill the Association Agreement and the reform program, a high-ranking European official has said.
“We are linked with Ukraine by the Association Agreement signed in 2014, including the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) Agreement, and now we must do everything possible to make it a success story,” he said, announcing the participation of Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in a videoconference of EU foreign ministers.
He noted that this agreement has a huge potential in terms of the economy and social development of Ukraine, while Brussels and Kyiv should focus their efforts on its implementation.
“Ukraine is a European country and in this capacity it can become a member of the EU,” he told journalists.
“But this is not what is on the agenda right now. Today we are talking about the implementation of the Association Agreement, about holding reforms, about things that usually precede the process of joining the union,” the official said.
He said that on Monday Kuleba will join the video meeting of the foreign ministers of the EU countries and will talk with them for about an hour.
“The Ukrainian army has been constantly on alert for seven years, Ukraine spends 6% of its GDP on defense, which it more needs on other budget items,” the official stressed.
In his opinion, Ukraine will be able to move forward, overcoming the conflict in the east of the country and actively pursuing reforms. At the same time, the EU is ready to provide financial and economic support to Kyiv.
“We will continue to do this, because we see this as the only possible way to ensure that Ukraine is a truly independent, sovereign country,” the EU official said.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky offered French President Emmanuel Macron to sign a declaration of support for Ukraine’s accession to the European Union.
“We have made a declaration that we conclude with partner countries, member states of the European Union, in which this or that country signs a declaration with us, indicating its support of Ukraine in striving to be a member of the European Union. Frankly speaking, several countries have already signed this declaration. There are countries that are now reviewing this declaration. I told the details of this declaration. I suggested that France also support Ukraine. I believe that President Macron will get acquainted with this declaration and give his answer,” Zelensky said at a briefing on the results talks with French President Macron in Paris on Friday.
Zelensky also said the Declaration on the European Perspective of Ukraine is an initiative of our state, which “does not want to wait until everything is done for us.”
“We are very proactive in Ukraine. We do not wait for everything to be done for us. We ourselves are taking concrete steps,” Zelensky said.
As reported, on March 18, a meeting of the presidents of Ukraine and Lithuania took place, during which they signed a Declaration on the European perspective of Ukraine.
EMMANUEL MACRON, EUROPEAN UNION, FRANCE, PRESIDENT, PRESIDENT ZELENSKY
