Ukraine open for business

POROSHENKO WELKOMES START OF DIALOGUE WITH FACEBOOK MANAGEMENT

KYIV. May 15 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has stressed the need for a Ukrainian Facebook office to be opened

“A dialogue with Facebook headquarters has started. It is vital to us that Facebook ultimately opens its office in Ukraine,” Poroshenko posted on Twitter.

Previously, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg answered Poroshenko’s question about the possibility of Ukrainian Facebook office being opened. Zuckerberg said that over time this could be considered as it depends on the company’s development, in particular its software development.

UKRAINE EXPORTS 30.2 MLN TONNES OF GRAIN SINCE START OF 2014/2015 MY

KYIV. May 14 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukrainian grain exports since the beginning of the current marketing year (MY, July-June), and as of May 14, 2015 amounted to 30.22 million tonnes, including 10.2 million tonnes of wheat.

According to a press release issued by the Ministry of Agricultural Policy and Food, maize exports totaled 15.4 million tonnes, barley – 4.38 million tonnes, other grains – 220,000 tonnes.

As reported, with reference to the State Statistics Service, in 2014 Ukraine harvested a record high of 63.8 million tonnes of grain and leguminous crops (excluding Crimea), which is 2.4% more than in 2013.

Last week, Agriculture Minister Oleksiy Pavlenko said that the agency expects grain exports to reach 32 million tonnes by the end of this season. In the middle of the marketing season the ministry and grain traders agreed to set the exports limit at 37.2 million tonnes of grain, including wheat – 12.8 million tonnes, corn – 20.2 million tonnes, and barley – 4.2 million tonnes.

FRANCE TO HELP UKRAINE WITH PRIVATIZATION – YATSENIUK

KYIV. May 14 (Interfax) – France will send experts to Ukraine to help the country carry through privatizations, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk said after meeting with French Prime Minister Manuel Valls on Wednesday.

“The Ukrainian prime minister said that France would send experts to the Ukrainian State Property Fund ‘to ensure so that privatization in Ukraine is honest and transparent [and] suits real investors,'” a statement from the Ukrainian government quoted Yatseniuk as saying after the meeting, held in Paris.

According to Yatseniuk, French investors are willing to buy Ukrainian property that is going to be denationalized. France “is an investor the Ukrainian economy needs,” the Ukrainian prime minister said.

He said the French economy minister and agriculture minister are to visit Ukraine under an agreement between the two prime ministers.

“The two basic elements of economic cooperation between Ukraine and France are investment in energy and investment in the agrarian sector,” Yatseniuk said.

AVTOKRAZ STARTS SHIPPING TRUCKS TO LAOS

KYIV. May 14 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Public joint-stock company AvtoKrAZ (Kremenchuk, Poltava region), the only heavy truck producer in Ukraine, has shipped the first batch of all-wheel-drive trucks to Laos as part of a contract signed in December 2014.

According to a company press release issued on Thursday, KrAZ-6322 trucks with Euro 0 engines will be shipped in sea containers partially dismantled, which will cheapen the cost of transportation.

AvtoKrAZ resumed supplies to Laos after a considerable break – the company had not supplied trucks to Laos since 1989.

AvtoKrAZ makes 33 basic vehicle models, and more than 260 modifications and trim levels for civilian and military vehicles.

DTZ, CUSHMAN&WAKEFIELD PLAN TO FISNISH MERGER DEAL BY LATE 2015

KYIV. May 13 (Interfax-Ukraine) – DTZ and Cushman&Wakefield have reached a definitive agreement to merge and plan to close the deal by late 2015 and it is subject to customary closing conditions.

DTZ and Cushman&Wakefield are set to become one of the largest global real estate services companies.

According to the press release of DTZ, the new company will have revenues over $5.5 billion, over 43,000 employees and will manage more than 4 billion square feet globally on behalf of institutional, corporate and private clients.

“DTZ is elated to be merging under the prominent Cushman & Wakefield brand. The companies have remarkably complementary skills and reach in different geographies – whether in New York, London or Shanghai, this will be a formidable combination,” said Brett White, who will assume the role of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the combined company.

Upon completion of the merger, Carlo Barel di Sant’Albano, current International CEO of Cushman & Wakefield and EMEA CEO, will take a senior global leadership role. John Santora, current CEO of North America at Cushman & Wakefield, will become Chief Operating Officer and Chief Integration Officer and Tod Lickerman, current Global CEO of DTZ will assume the role of President of the global company.

Cushman & Wakefield advises and represents clients on all aspects of property occupancy and investment. Founded in 1917, it has 259 offices in 60 countries, employing more than 16,000 professionals. It offers a complete range of services to its occupier and investor clients for all property types, including leasing, sales and acquisitions, equity, debt and structured finance, corporate finance and investment banking, appraisal, consulting, corporate services, and property, facilities, project and risk management.

Cushman & Wakefield does not have offices in Ukraine.

An 80.1% stake in the company belongs to EXOR.

DTZ was founded by Chesshire Gibson company, which started its operation in 1784 in Birmingham (Britain). Since December 2011, it is part of UGL Services, a division of UGL Limited.

The company provides comprehensive services to corporate clients and tenants, as well as offering solutions on investment in real estate, leasing, management and maintenance of real estate, construction and project management, object assessment, asset management and investment management. Its 265 representative offices, located in 52 countries, employ 28,200 people, including subcontractors.

DTZ opened its office in Ukraine as a first international consulting company in 1994.

In Ukraine, the company’s office is located in Kyiv and it employs more than 50 professionals.

JOINT EFFORTS OF GOVERNMENT, PARLIAMENT, PRESIDENT NEEDED TO IMPLEMENT ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT – TOMBINSKI

KYIV. May 13 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The implementation of the Association Agreement with the European Union requires the joint efforts of the Ukrainian government, parliament and president, Head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine Jan Tombinski has said.

At an international conference entitled “Ukraine-EU: A Year after the Signing of the Association Agreement,” which was held in Kyiv, he said the government, parliament, president, and everybody interested in this process must become united.

Tombinski said that the successful implementation of the agreement depends on three elements, the first of which is that all state officials believing that the integration process is necessary not just for the European Union, but for Ukraine itself.

He said the second element is constant dialogue with society as the reforms being carried out in Ukraine require dialogue that will help ease social problems caused by the reforms.

He went on to say that the third element is the support of Ukraine-EU integration by all EU 28 member states.

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