Cyprus T.A.S. Overseas Investments Limited from Sergiy Tigipko’s TAS Group intends to acquire over 25% in Austrian TransAnt GmbH (Linz), a joint venture (JV) established by Austrian ÖBB Rail Cargo Group and voestalpine Stahl GmbH to produce innovative and cost-effective railway freight cars.
According to a message of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) on its website, the agency has already provided T.A.S. Overseas Investments Limited with appropriate authorization based on its application and applications from TransAnt and voestalpine Stahl.
In addition, the Cypriot Competition Authority also announced that it had received a notification in connection with the proposed acquisition by TAS Overseas Investments Limited of a share in a charter capital of TransAnt GmbH on January 24 this year.
TransAnt GmbH is a joint venture established at the end of 2020 between Rail Cargo Austria Aktiengesellschaft and voestalpine Stahl GmbH with the aim of operating in the rail freight sector. At this stage, TransAnt is not engaged in commercial activities. However, after the completion of this transaction, it is expected to be actively engaged in production, development, supply, sale and lease of “flex” wagons and superstructures for the transport of goods in the industrial sector.
Rail Cargo Group originally announced plans for parity ownership in the JV with voestalpine, but currently holds a 19.8% share, according to the Austrian register, while voestalpine holds 80.2%.
In this regard, the AMCU classifies TransAnt GmbH and voestalpine Stahl GmbH and their related companies as a single business entity – VAS Group. It is a global steel and technology group operating in the automotive, consumer, aerospace, oil and gas, and rail industries, which is listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange and has no ultimate beneficial owners.
TAS Group was founded in 1998 by businessman Sergiy Tigipko. Its business interests cover the financial sector (banking and insurance segments) and pharmacy, as well as industry, real estate, and venture projects.
The Norwegian authorities have decided to allocate 12 tanks of various types to Ukraine, the head of the Norwegian Ministry of Defense, Bjorn Arild Gram, has said.
“Norway will donate eight tanks and up to four special purpose tanks to Ukraine. The authorities will also allocate funds for the purchase of ammunition and spare parts, said Defense Minister Bjorn Arild Gram,” the Norwegian government said in a statement.
The statement did not specify which tanks Oslo will transfer to Kiev. However, according to the document, Norway will send about $24.7 million to the European Peace Foundation for the purchase of ammunition and spare parts for Leopard 2 tanks.
In early February, Prime Minister of Norway Jonas Gahr Støre proposed to allocate annually 15 billion NOK (about $1.5 billion) for the provision of humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine over the next five years.
Earlier German authorities announced their decision to transfer to Ukraine the first batch of 14 Leopard 2 tanks and 178 Leopard 1 tanks. At the same time, German authorities give their allies permission to deliver Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine as well.
Leopard 2 is the main battle tank of the Bundeswehr. It is also in service with Austria, Hungary, Poland, Turkey, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, Denmark, Greece, Finland and the Netherlands. It has been in service since 1979 and has many modifications; over 3.6 thousand of these tanks were manufactured.
Area under crops in Ukraine in 2023 will be reduced by 7 million hectares or 24.1% compared to the prewar level – to 22 million hectares from 29 million, director of the Agrarian Development Ministry Igor Vishtak said during a discussion panel at Mediacenter Ukraine on Tuesday.
According to him, this year the structure of areas under crops will change significantly in favor of oilseeds, and the forced reduction of fertilizer inputs will directly affect the gross harvest.
“For domestic consumption, of course, in all food groups we will be provided, but the export potential is expected to change. In particular, much less corn will be sown, while it is one of the main crops that were exported,” Vishtak said during the discussion.
He also stressed that the state will focus on supporting small agrarians, so now it is working to continue the program of subsidies and subsidies per hectare of cultivated land and per head of cattle. The importance of their support is connected, among other things, with the fact that it is small farmers who are mostly engaged in vegetable growing, the deficit of which we are now seeing in the domestic market.
In addition, in the budget for 2023 the Government has planned more than 16 billion UAH of credit, of which 9.6 billion UAH for farmers. This will partially prolong last year’s loans and will provide an opportunity to issue new loans for the sowing season.
As it was reported, Ukrainian agricultural producers last year sowed major winter crops on the area of 4.5 million hectares, including 3.8 million hectares of wheat, 613 thousand hectares of barley and 79.2 thousand hectares of rye. Moreover, in Ukraine there have been sown winter rape on 999 thousand hectares, that is 104% of the previously planned.
Thus, a total of 5.5 mln ha of winter grains and oilseeds have been sown in Ukraine, which is 62% of the last year’s volume.
In 2021, Ukraine allocated 8.87 million hectares for winter crops, including 6.66 million hectares for wheat, 1.02 million hectares for barley, 160.6 thousand hectares for rye and 1.03 million hectares for rape.
A comprehensive four-day online training course for diplomats from African countries has been launched at the Ukrainian Diplomatic Academy named after Gennadiy Udovenko under the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, the course will continue the “renaissance of relations” between Ukraine and African countries, Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said.
“During my tour, our African partners showed great interest in learning about the Ukrainian diplomatic experience. In a year of countering Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine has established itself as an unqualified international leader in the areas of communications, public diplomacy, combating disinformation and crisis response. The training course developed by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry will continue the renaissance of relations between Ukraine and African countries, and will also become our practical contribution to strengthening the sustainability of the countries of the African continent,” the Foreign Ministry press service quotes Kuleba as saying.
In the course “Security and Diplomacy in Wartime. Ukrainian experience,” more than 200 diplomats from countries such as Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Cote d’Ivoire, South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique and Senegal will have the opportunity to learn from Ukrainian diplomatic practitioners, international scientists and think tank experts.
According to Kuleba, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry plans to hold a series of similar training courses for a number of other African countries in 2023 as part of the intensification of relations with Africa.
Head of the Office of the President Andrey Yermak in a telephone conversation discussed with Jake Sullivan, national security adviser to the US President, further support for Ukraine as it approaches the anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, the Presidential Press Service reported.
“The two sides discussed the strong support the United States will continue to provide to Ukraine as the anniversary of the war approaches, and also noted the importance of our continued communication,” the statement said.
Also, the head of the Office of the President informed the American side about the current situation on the front.
Additionally, Yermak thanked the American people, the US president and both houses of Congress for supporting Ukraine.
Ukraine from the beginning of 2022/2023 marketing year (July-June) to February 13, exported 29.16 million tons of cereals, including 16.72 million tons of corn (57.3% of total supplies), 10.39 million tons of wheat (35.6%) and 1.94 million tons of barley (6.7%).
As reported on the website of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food on Monday, the rate of grain exports since the beginning of this year is by 28.65% lower than during the same period of the previous year, when 40.81 million tons were shipped abroad. At that, as of February 13, the highest average daily export rate for the current MY was achieved, while the previous lowest lag from the last year’s figure was reached on January 9 – “minus” 29.61%.
According to the Ministry, Ukraine exported 16.72 million tons of corn (-3.7% compared to the same period last year), 10.39 million tons of wheat (1.69 times less), 1.94 million tons of barley (2.84 times less), 13.4 thousand tons of rye (11.8 times less) and 89.5 thousand tons of flour (+38.1%) from the beginning of 2022/2023 MY to February 13 this year.
It is specified that Ukraine exported 2.19 million tons of grain since early February, including 1.4 million tons of corn, 653 thousand tons of wheat, 126 thousand tons of barley, 7,100 tons of flour and 1 thousand tons of rye.
As follows from the Ministry data, during the period of February 3-13, an average of 170.7 thousand tons of cereals per day were supplied to foreign markets, whereas during the preceding period of January 27 – February 3 – 209.4 thousand tons of cereals per day, January 20-27 – 121.1 thousand tons per day, January 9-20 – 140 thousand tons per day, and January 2-9 – 121.7 thousand tons per day. Thus, the average daily rate of exports during the reporting period of 3-13 February decreased by 18.5% compared to the previous period January 27-February 3.
As reported, Ukraine exported 48.51 million tons of grain and leguminous crops in 2021/2022 MY, which is 8.4% higher than in the previous MY, despite the full-scale invasion of Russia and the difficulties with the export of agricultural products due to the blockade of Ukrainian sea ports. 18.74 million tons of wheat (12.6% more than in 2020/2021MY), 23.54 million tons of corn (+1.9%), 5.75 million tons of barley (+35.9%), 70.9 thousand tons of flour (-44.1%) were supplied to foreign markets.
Ukraine in 2020/2021 MY exported 44.72 million tons of grain and leguminous crops: 16.64 million tons of wheat, 23.08 million tons of corn, 4.23 million tons of barley, 126.9 thousand tons of flour and 18.4 thousand tons of rye.
In 2019/2020, Ukraine exported 56.72 million tons of grain and leguminous crops.
