The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a draft decree on signing of the joint statement between the governments of Ukraine and Germany concerning the beginning of the energy cooperation and commissioned acting Energy Minister Olha Buslavets to sign it.
The respective decision was taken without a discussion at the government’s meeting on Wednesday.
“I hope this will give an impetus to our cooperation in the fields of renewable energy and energy efficiency. The experience of Germany in the fair transformation of coal regions is also important for us,” Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said at a government’s meeting.
According to the text of the draft decree, the sphere of cooperation between the governments of Ukraine and Germany, in particular, are the development of renewable energy and its integration into the energy network, the development of energy efficiency, the improvement of conditions for private investment in sustainable energy, the exchange of innovations in this field.
An explanatory note to the draft decree states that Ukraine’s energy sector reform is being carried out as a part of its development and implementation of the New Green Deal initiative of the European Commission and in accordance with the Green Energy Transition Concept until 2050.
The signing of the joint statement will create a platform for establishing bilateral cooperation on the development of sustainable energy and will help reduce the use of minerals, reads the document.
Four companies filed documents to participate in the tender for the construction of a waste recycling complex in Lviv, Mayor of the city Andriy Sadovy has written on his Facebook page. “Lviv-based municipal enterprise Zelene Misto Green City received technical proposals from four participants (due to pandemic the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development approved that this may be online),” the mayor of Lviv said.
According to him, the documents were submitted by the following companies: Eggersmann Anlagenbau GmbH (Germany), Control Process S.A. (Poland), consortium of two companies WTT (Netherlands) and Axis (Lithuania), consortium of two companies MUT (Austria) and Dogusan (Turkey).
“Each of these companies has implemented at least four similar projects. Such experience is a guarantee of quality for us. The plant must be environmentally safe, this is the main criterion when choosing a contractor,” Sadovy said.
According to the mayor of Lviv, preparatory work is currently underway on the site allocated for the construction of the plant.
According to the City Council, the design capacity of the plant should be 240,000 tonnes of waste per year when working on a double-shift basis.
AUSTRIA, COMPANIES, GERMANY, NETHERLANDS, PLANT CONSTRUCTION, POLAND, RECYCLING, TURKEY
Germany will allocate EUR 850,000 in 2020 for humanitarian projects of the charity organization ADRA in Ukraine.
“The assistance will be available to people in eastern Ukraine who are particularly affected by the long-lasting conflict. From 2016 to 2019, ADRA’s work was already funded from Germany at EUR 4.6 million. In addition, ADRA will contribute an additional EUR 200,000 from its own funds,” the press service of the German Embassy in Ukraine reports.
The funds will be used to help older people, people with disabilities, single parents, large families, and among them, internally displaced persons. ADRA also plans to improve the humanitarian protection and psychosocial health of victims of conflict with post-traumatic syndrome, among whom there are many children, and provide access to basic services (especially medical and social services) and drinking water. Also, social transport services will be offered to people in need.
ADRA Ukraine is part of the worldwide ADRA network and has been operating in Ukraine since 1993. During its performance, the organization has implemented about 150 assistance projects in 12 regions of Ukraine. After the outbreak of hostilities in eastern Ukraine in 2014, the organization concentrated its activities in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Germany will allocate EUR 1.5 million for Ukraine to purchase the medical equipment, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Germany Andrij Melnyk reported.
“The ministries of defense have signed an agreement on the allocation of 1.5 million euros by Berlin for the purchase of equipment (mobile x-ray machines, digital surgical machines and angiographs). Danke Deutschland,” Melnyk wrote on Twitter on October 16.
Exports of Ukrainian agricultural products to the EU countries grew by 34.3% in January-July 2019 year-over-year, to $4.1 billion, former acting Minister of Agricultural Policy and Food of Ukraine Olha Trofimtseva has said. “The export of Ukrainian agricultural products to the EU for the seven months of 2019 increased 34.3% (or $1.04 billion), to $4.1 billion compared to the same period in 2018,” she wrote on her Facebook page.
The main products in the export structure to the EU are cereals – $1.8 billion, vegetable oils – $921.9 million, oilseeds – $385.4 million, bagasse and other food waste – $345.5 million, poultry – $117.3 million, fruits, nuts and zest – $78.6 million.
The share of the Netherlands in the trade between Ukraine and the EU countries was 18%, Spain’s – 13.5%, Poland’s – 13.4%, Germany’s – 11.1%, and Italy’s – 10.6%.
Trofimtseva said that as of September 2, 2019, Ukraine had fully used the EU tariff import quotas for honey, sugar, barley groats and flour, processed starch, preserved tomatoes, grape and apple juices, corn and wheat. The quota was used for butter by 48%, and for processed milk products – by 33.3%.
President of Ukraine accepted credentials from ambassadors of a number of foreign states: the Republic of Korea – Chang-Kwon Chi, the South African Republic – Andre Johannes Groenewald, the Republic of Slovenia – Tomaz Menzin, the Federal Republic of Germany – Anka Feldhusen, the Republic of Finland – Päivi Maarit Laine. During the conversation with Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Ukraine Chang-Kwon Chi, the parties discussed issues of strengthening political dialogue at the highest level between Ukraine and South Korea as well as prospects of trade, economic and investment cooperation, the presidential press service said on Wednesday.
“The issue of introducing a visa-free regime for Ukrainian citizens was discussed, which would facilitate the development of interpersonal contacts,” it says.
The president invited President of the Republic of Korea Mun Zhe Ying to visit Ukraine.
During the conversation with new Ambassador of the South African Republic to Ukraine Andre Johannes Groenewald, the president of Ukraine emphasized the importance of strengthening political dialogue.
According to Zelensky, Ukraine considers the South African Republic as a prospective partner in Africa and is focused on more intensive cooperation in all spheres.
“Special attention was paid to the discussion of trade and economic cooperation, in particular prospects of Ukrainian-South African business forum which would be held this year,” the message reads.
President of Ukraine spoke out about the establishment of closer and constructive bilateral cooperation between Ukraine and the Republic of South Africa within the framework of its non-permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council.
The president of Ukraine also invited President of the Republic of South Africa Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa to visit Ukraine in the framework of the official visit.
The president thanked Ambassador of the Republic of Finland to Ukraine Päivi Maarit Laine for consistent support of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, as well as the substantial humanitarian and expert assistance provided by Helsinki to Ukraine at the bilateral level. Particular attention was paid to the practical assistance provided by Finland in implementing systemic reforms, in particular in the field of school education and energy efficiency.
During the conversation with Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia to Ukraine Tomaz Menzin the president of Ukraine thanked Slove nia for the consistent political support of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. Zelensky appreciated the assistance of Slovenia in promoting the rehabilitation of 400 children from Ukraine whose parents had died as a result of Russian aggression.
During the conversation with Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany Anka Feldhusen the head of state thanked the German side for the continued support of Ukraine in countering Russian aggression, as well as substantial financial and technical assistance to facilitate the process of structural reforms in Ukraine.
“During the meeting, the main focus was on discussing the security situation in Donbas and a set of further steps to revitalize the peace process. The importance of continuing international pressure on the Russian Federation to ensure its implementation of the decision of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea was emphasized,” the presidential website says.
President of Ukraine also expressed hopes for the preservation of the traditionally active political dialogue at the highest level in the future.
In addition, the parties discussed the issue of involving German business representatives to work in Ukraine and the creation of joint enterprises.
AMBASSADORS, CREDENTIALS, FINLAND, GERMANY, KOREA, PRESIDENT, SLOVENIA, SOUTH AFRICAN REPUBLIC
