Lyst-Ruchky LLC (Ruchky village, Poltava region), part of Astarta agro-industrial holding, exported the first batch of organic soybeans under a contract with the German processing company Agriprotein GmbH, the agricultural holding’s press service reported.
“A supply contract of organic soybeans was concluded with the German processing company Agriprotein GmbH. As per contract, the quality of delivered products has to be confirmed in two stages. The first samples of soybeans were selected and tested by the European laboratory Galab (Germany) prior to signing a contract. The organic origin of the product and its high quality was confirmed. The second stage of the inspection took place upon delivery and organic status of soybeans was reaffirmed,” the company said on its website.
“As reported, last year Astarta completed a three-year journey to the first harvest of organic grain and oilseeds crops in sync with the European trend of expanding organic farming methods. In the 2021 season, the total area of the company’s land bank under organic products is 1,800 ha with the following crops: soybeans, millet, mustard, sunflower, corn and winter wheat,” the report says.
“The company also plans to certify this crops according to Bio Suisse (Switzerland) and USDA NOP (USA) standards,” it said.
As reported, Lyst-Ruchky in July 2020 received a certificate of a manufacturer of organic products. To confirm this status, it took three years of work in a transitional period, the corresponding intermediate inspections and certifications.
Federal Minister of Finance of the Federal Republic of Germany Olaf Scholz said that Germany will seek the extension of the agreement on gas transit through Ukraine.
“We work very hard to make sure that the gas transit agreement between Ukraine and Russia is prolonged,” Scholz said in an interview with Bloomberg on Friday.
According to the position of Germany, the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which runs along the bottom of the Baltic Sea, should be finished, but gas transit through Ukraine should be preserved.
According to Scholz, Germany sees its responsibility to ensure transit through Ukraine in the future, and not only for two or three years, but for decades to come.
The current agreement, according to Government Spokesperson Steffen Seibert, is valid until at least 2024, but the agreement implies that the parties will check the possibility of extending the agreement until 2034.
Germany allows entry into the country from June 25 for persons fully vaccinated against coronavirus (COVID-19) with vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency.
“Starting from June 25, 2021, entry from Ukraine to Germany for people fully vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 with vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) will be possible again. Fully vaccinated persons will be able to re-enter Germany for the purpose of visiting friends, acquaintances and relatives, as well as for tourism purposes. Visa-free travel for Ukrainian citizens with biometric passports will be possible again,” the German Embassy in Ukraine said in a statement. It is noted that those persons who have received vaccinations with one of the vaccines indicated on the Paul-Ehrlich-Institute website will have the right to enter Germany, if at least 14 days have passed since the day of inoculation with the last required dose or vaccine that requires one dose.
“Currently, this only applies to vaccines recognized by the European Medicines Agency. The list of vaccines is also planned to be expanded and supplemented with other vaccines with similar protective standards as soon as the necessary tests are completed,” the embassy said.
It is noted that it is necessary to provide a European digital COVID certificate or an analogue of vaccination confirmation in digital or paper form, issued in German, English, French, Italian or Spanish.
“For people who have recovered from the disease, the vaccine can consist of only one dose of the vaccine. In order to confirm the full vaccination, people who have recovered must also be proved that they were sick with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus before vaccination. Confirmation of the fact of the disease must be a positive result of PCR test,” the embassy said.
In addition, persons under the age of 12 and who have not yet received COVID-19 vaccine may, if they have documented proof of the test (PCR or antigen test), enter Germany accompanied by one or both fully vaccinated parents. Persons who have not yet turned six years old do not need confirmation of testing.
Starting from June 25, Ukrainian people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can enter Germany under certain conditions, the German Embassy in Kyiv said.
“Fully vaccinated persons will be able to re-enter Germany for visiting family and friends, as well as for tourist purposes. Starting from June 21, 2021, one can apply for the necessary visas for the intended purpose of travel both at the embassy and at the Visametric visa center,” the German Embassy said on its website on Friday.
It is indicated that those persons who have been inoculated with one of the vaccines listed on the website of the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut (PEI) will have the right to enter Germany, if at least 14 days have passed from the date of inoculation with the last required dose of vaccine or with vaccine that requires only one dose.
“Now this only applies to vaccines recognized by the European Medicines Agency [EMA]. The list of vaccines is also planned to be expanded and supplemented with other vaccines with similar protective standards as soon as the necessary trials are completed,” the embassy said.
Further information, especially that regarding the requirements for documentary evidence of received vaccinations, can be found on the website of the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community, the German Embassy said.
Germany may change its position on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline after the election of a new chancellor, which will be held in the autumn of 2021, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said.
“In fact, there are many voices against North Stream 2 in Germany and Berlin’s position may change after their upcoming elections,” Kuleba said in an interview with the Hungarian edition of Ceenergy News.
He said that neither has the United States given up on sanctions completely, saying it is rather a break. “Our struggle to preserve Ukraine’s national interests and European security will continue. As one golden rule of diplomacy puts it, nothing is fully agreed before everything is agreed,” the minister added.
According to him, Ukraine adheres to a “clear position” on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. “It is not only about Ukraine and our economic interests. It is very dangerous for the overall Euro Atlantic security and unity to give such a powerful political weapon as Nord Stream 2 in Vladimir Putin’s hands [Russian President],” he said.
Kuleba added that compromises on security have never worked well in the past. “Our main expectation is to convince our German and U.S. partners to take the existing threat seriously. This is what Ukrainian diplomacy is currently working on,” the Foreign Minister said.
The German government will provide Ukraine with EUR 13.1 million for energy-efficient modernization of medical care facilities, procurement of latest basic medical equipment and equipment for outpatient diagnosis and treatment of coronavirus (COVID-19) disease.
According to the press service of the Ministry of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories, the relevant grant and project agreement was signed on February 8 between Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, Minister for the Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories Oleksiy Reznikov, Director of the KfW Eastern Europe, Caucasus, Central Asia Department Olaf Zymelka and Executive Director of the Ukrainian Social Investment Fund Andriy Laktionov.
The aim of the project is to counter the threats and consequences of the pandemic by means of their energy efficient renewal and provision of the necessary medical equipment.
The funds will be used to upgrade the infrastructure and equip 12 institutions of primary and secondary (reference) medicine in Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhia regions and in Donetsk and Luhansk regions controlled by the Ukrainian government with latest medical devices and protective equipment.
The project will be implemented by the Ukrainian Social Investment Fund (UFSI) within three years.
In addition, annexes were signed for other projects worth EUR 23.4 million, of which EUR 9 million was allocated to the construction of housing for internally displaced persons (13 facilities) and improvement of infrastructure (six schools and seven kindergartens) in communities hosting IDPs.
The second grant of EUR 14.45 million is aimed at improving the conditions for the provision of medical care. The purchase of new equipment and energy-efficient renovation of hospitals will advert at least 40 facilities in Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhia regions and in the Russia-occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
