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.
The Ukrainian national football team lost with a score of 1:2 in Kyiv to the German team in the group four match of the elite division A of the UEFA Nations League.
In the 20th minute, the score was opened by the guest defender Mathias Ginter. At the start of the second half, Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka doubled Germany’s lead.
In the 77th minute, Ruslan Malynovsky won back one goal from the penalty spot for the team of Andriy Shevchenko. But this goal was the last in the match.
In another match of the group, Spain at home beat Switzerland minimally with a score of 1:0.
After three rounds, Spain leads the group with seven points. Germany scored five points, Ukraine – three, and Switzerland – one.
Acting Energy Minister Olha Buslavets intends to sign in Germany a memorandum on a new energy partnership, providing for the development of hydrogen technologies in Ukraine, said chairman of the Ukrainian Hydrogen Council Association Oleksandr Repkin.
“On August 25-27, head of the Ministry of Energy Olha Buslavets will visit Germany, where it is planned to sign a memorandum on a new energy partnership, of which hydrogen energy is a part. Ukraine is going there to propose certain pilot projects with a scale of 100 MW, similar to the project being implemented in Morocco – a solar-hydrogen plant with a capacity of 100 MW,”Repkin said during an online discussion on the prospects for the development of hydrogen energy in Ukraine, organized by the energy committee of the Ukrainian Venture Capital Association on Tuesday.
He said Germany considered that it would not have enough of its own resources for the production of renewable hydrogen, therefore it considers Ukraine as a partner for obtaining this resource.
He also announced on August 14 the first meeting of the expert working group under the Ministry of Energy under his leadership, at which, in particular, the issue of adapting Ukraine’s energy strategy regarding hydrogen technologies will be considered.
“We are starting concrete steps to keep up with the EU countries,” Repkin said.
He also noted that according to the European Hydrogen Strategy, recently presented by the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans, Europe regards Ukraine as a partner, but it is necessary to develop the internal hydrogen market for this.
“In Europe, they see us as a 10GW partner. What does this mean? There is such an opportunity, and they will support us. But there is one thing, which is not spelled out, but it is said. They will support only those countries that create an internal hydrogen market in their country. “Timmermans made it clear: friends, we are ready to help you with 7.5 GW so that you create and import them, but for 2.5 GW you must create your own market,” Repkin said, noting that by the end of 2023, “We are expected to half a million tonnes of import of renewable hydrogen, and in the future – 3 million tonnes annually.”
According to him, in order to enter the European market in Ukraine, conditions must be provided, in particular for the use of hydrogen transport, there must also be the use of hydrogen in the metallurgical and chemical industries.
He said that in Ukraine there is already an example of the construction of the first hydrogen filling station in partnership with the Danes.
“Entrepreneurs from Kharkiv have joined our association. Their idea is to convert all public transport to hydrogen,” said the head of the association.
At the same time, he predicted that the development of hydrogen technologies in the country will proceed more actively than expected.
As reported, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Ukraine can become a reliable supplier of hydrogen to the EU, in particular to Germany.
In July, the European Union adopted a strategy for the introduction of renewable hydrogen. It involves the addition of an integrated energy system with a massive industrial production of renewable hydrogen. It can serve as a source of energy where the use of electricity is difficult. In the future, it will be produced mainly using wind and solar energy.
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.
