KYIV. April 10 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers has approved a project to build a radioactive waste (RAW) disposal complex at Khmelnytsky nuclear power plant (NPP) with the total cost of UAH 1.164 billion.
The decision is outlined in government resolution No. 240-r dated April 5, 2017 published on the government’s portal.
The cost of construction works is estimated at UAH 68.865 million, equipment – UAH 888.821 million and other expenses – UAH 206.685 million.
It will take 20 months to build the complex, including 17 months for the first phase and three months for the second phase.
Energoatom is the operator of all four Ukrainian-based operating nuclear power plants, which have 15 VVER reactors with an overall generating capacity of 13.835 gigawatts.
KYIV. April 7 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukrenergo plans to complete the construction of the 330 kV Novo-Odeska-Artsyz power grids by 2020.
According to the press service of the state enterprise, it started the work on the project in the middle of the 2000s, but construction was suspended.
“Our calculations related to the work of the Moldovan state regional power station and the energy center, as well as geopolitical changes show that it is necessary to accelerate the pace and, if possible, complete the construction of the Novo-Odeska-Artsyz power grids by 2020,” Ukrenergo Head Vsevolod Kovalchuk said.
According to him, to implement the project it is planned to attract investments from international financial organizations, in particular, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
As reported, Ukrenergo in 2007 estimated the cost of building the Novo-Odeska-Artsyz power grids with a cable passage through the Dnistrovsky firth at UAH 450 million.
KYIV. April 7 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Leading European low cost airline Ryanair (Ireland) for the winter navigation schedule of 2017-2018 would first allow buying tickets for own connecting flights and flights of other airlines, while earlier it was possible to buy only point-to-point tickets.
According to a posting on the website of the Irish Stock Exchange, the airline is ready to offer auto check-in for both flights once return seats are booked.
The airline intends to set lower prices of tickets and open new bases (Frankfurt Main, Naples).
As reported, Ryanair in October 2017 intends to launch its flights for four destinations flying from Kyiv and seven from Lviv.
Ryanair Chief Commercial Officer David O’Brien said at a briefing in Kyiv on Wednesday that flights to Eindhoven, London, Manchester and Stockholm will be launched from Kyiv. It is planned to service 15 flights a week.
From Lviv Ryanair will fly to London, Eindhoven, Berlin, Memmingen, Krakow, Wroclaw and Budapest.
KYIV. April 7 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Investors from Kuwait intend to buy electric buses manufactured by Lviv Corporation Electron, the press service of Lviv Regional State Administration said on its website.
The corresponding intentions were announced by the director general of J&N General Trading&Contracting Co at a meeting with Chairman of Lviv Regional State Administration Oleh Syniutka and Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine Mykhailo Tytarchuk in Lviv.
“Electron has a long and positive history of development. And the products it sells in the market, including electric transport, are extremely competitive,” Syniutka’s press service said.
Tytarchuk, in turn, promised the investor to support in investing in the Ukrainian economy, and especially in Lviv region as the most powerful region, and noted that today the opportunities of both countries are not used in full.
According to the Kuwait official, his state is interested in investing in the development of health tourism, as well as the use of mineral waters of Lviv region.
KYIV. April 7 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukraine is interested in establishing defense cooperation with Latin America countries. Chile is considered among potential partners.
The press service of Ukroboronprom State Concern reported that the opportunities of establishing cooperation with Chili were discussed during negotiations of a Ukrainian delegation with Defense Minister of Chile Jose Antonio Gomez at the LAAD 2017 Defence & Security exhibition in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).
“The main topic of the meeting was Chile’s cooperation with Ukraine in the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) sphere, aircraft building and cyber security. Further steps and needs of the two sides were determined and the principles of further cooperation were discussed at the meeting,” the concern said.
According to the report, the prospects of establishing regional cooperation will be discussed with official representatives of national institutions and military agencies of Latin America countries at LAAD 2017.
LAAD International Exhibition and Conference on Aerospace & Defence Techology has been held in Rio de Janeiro since 1997 once in two years. Britain’s Reed Exhibitions organizes the exhibition in cooperation with the Defense Ministry of Brazil.
According to the organizers, around 37,000 specialists, 195 official delegations from 85 countries are taking part in LAAD 2017 Defence & Security held on April 4 through April 7.
KYIV. April 7 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The deputies of the European Parliament have supported by a majority of votes granting a visa-free regime to Ukrainian citizens by the European Union, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said.
“A piece of news has just come that there are 521 votes in the European Parliament “for” a visa-free regime with Ukraine. I congratulate all who have done their best to this purpose! And I congratulate you, the Ukrainian people, I congratulate you, Ukraine,” he said at the 10th Kyiv Security Forum on Thursday.
At a meeting of the European Parliament on Thursday afternoon, 521 European deputies voted ‘for’ granting visa-free regime to Ukrainian citizens by the EU, while 75 were ‘against’ and 36 abstained.
As reported, on February 28 during consultations of EU member states, representatives of the European Parliament and the European Commission, it was agreed to launch visa liberalization for Ukrainian citizens.
The trialogue between the EU Council, the European Commission and the European Parliament on granting a visa-free regime to Ukraine ended on March 1.
The Committee of Permanent Representatives of the Member States of the European Union (COREPER) on March 2 confirmed a decision reached within the framework of the triad.
On March 9, the European Parliament Committee for Civil Liberties, Justice and Internal Affairs (LIBE) approved a draft on including Ukraine into the list of third countries whose citizens are canceled visa requirements.
Thus, the completion of the process of liberalization of the visa regime requires several more procedural points, in particular, the approval by the Council of the EU.
After this, the document must be signed by the president of the European Parliament and the representative of the country presiding in the EU and published in the official journal of the EU.
The decision to introduce a visa-free regime will come into force 20 days after its publication.
