Canadian mining company Black Iron Inc. with assets in Ukraine, despite the ongoing war, continues to promote the Shimanovsky iron ore project through negotiations with the Ministry of Defense regarding the transfer of land, the execution of an investment support agreement with the government of the country and obtaining permits for the extraction of minerals and their processing.
According to the company’s press release, the land adjacent to the Shimanovsky ore body, necessary for the location of the future processing plant, waste rock warehouses and tailings, belongs to the government of Ukraine and is used by the Ministry of Defense for training purposes. Discussions with the Department of Defense led to an agreement on a preliminary amount of funds that Black Iron would have to pay as compensation for obtaining this piece of land for its use.
“Efforts are now focused on drawing up a binding agreement on the transfer of this land (to the use of Black Iron – IF) after peace is established in Ukraine,” the press release states.
In addition, Black Iron is also negotiating with the government of Ukraine on an investment support agreement that will include several benefits, such as the permanence of legislation (company operating conditions – IF) and exemption from import duties on equipment needed for the project.
In turn, Black Iron management prepared an extensive report covering several aspects of the project, such as the proposed new jobs, tax payments and social benefits. Before submitting this document, it will be necessary to make some changes to the legislation of Ukraine in order for Black Iron to comply with the requirements, and work in this direction is currently in full swing, the press release emphasizes.
“In order to keep our permits valid, work is currently underway in Ukraine to update the geological and mining plans. Finally, while Black Iron stakeholders wait for peace in Ukraine to bring the Shimanovsky project to the construction stage, management is considering new potential projects to increase shareholder value “, – summed up in a press release.
As reported, in October 2010, Black Iron acquired the Cypriot subsidiary of Geo-Alliance Ore East Limited from EastOne investment group of Ukrainian businessman Viktor Pinchuk, together with licenses, for $13 million, then renaming it BKI Cyprus. The main assets are 99% in LLC “Shymanovskoe Steel” and “Zelenovskoe Steel” (both – Dnipro).
In July 2013, after a series of problems with the implementation of the Black Iron project, it announced an agreement with Metinvest, the largest Ukrainian mining and metallurgical group, to develop its iron ore assets. Metinvest B.V. paid to Black Iron Inc. $20 million and acquired 49% in BKI Cyprus. Later, however, Metinvest withdrew from the project.
The Shimanovskoye iron ore deposit is surrounded by five other operating mining enterprises, including the ArcelorMittal iron ore complex. The existing infrastructure, including access to electricity, railway and port facilities, according to Black Iron, will allow the project to be quickly implemented to the production stage.
According to a presentation dated May 2021, the expected capital investment in the launch of the first stage is estimated at $452 million, the second – $364 million. the first stage and 8 million tons per year – at the second.
Ukrainian farmers have received 50 combines, 49 tractors and various farming equipment as charity assistance under the Harvest of Victory project funded by American philanthropist Howard Buffett, and mobile granaries are also on their way to Ukraine.
According to a Wednesday statement on the website of the Agrarian Policy and Food Ministry of Ukraine, on August 30, Ukrainian farmers and representatives of the ministry met with Buffett at the Khreschatyk metro station in Kyiv, which is temporarily closed for passengers.
The Howard G. Buffett Foundation has already allocated $90 million for Ukrainians in the territories that had been liberated from the Russian occupation, notably, for the spring sowing campaign there.
During the meeting, Buffett said that today assistance and investment in Ukraine’s agriculture is a contribution to food safety of millions of people all over the world, adding that the problems Ukraine is facing today are the problems of not only Ukrainians, but also of the U.S., the EU and other states, according to the ministry.
The philanthropist also said that his foundation is also working on programs of assistance for small farmers for the next year. It also supports the investigation into the consequences of Russia’s aggression for agriculture, as well as the development of a damage recovery mechanism.
Buffett said that he saw in the pictures and videos how the Russian troops and the war in general affect the fields. The farmers are unable to collect harvest safely. When Russia tries to hit the world by limiting food resources, this is a crime against the whole world, he stressed.
In turn, Agrarian Policy and Food Deputy Minister of Ukraine Taras Vysotsky thanked the guest for his support to Ukraine, and especially its agricultural sector.
The parties discussed the issues of irrigation, possible introduction of the No-Till technology in Ukraine, food security, as well as further steps to prevent worsening of the situation with food security in the world and a negative impact of the war on the environment.
The Diia.City project was awarded the Emerging Europe Awards, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov said.
“The Diia.City project received the Emerging Europe Awards in the Modern and Future-Proof Policymaking nomination. The award celebrates the projects of countries that change the life of the developing region of Europe. The winners are chosen by people from all over the world who can vote online for their favorite project. This year, thousands of people took part in the voting, noting the importance of Diia.City,” Fedorov wrote on his Telegram channel.
The minister emphasized that “City was noted for its unique contribution to positioning Ukraine as a powerful IT hub, as well as for creating conditions for the development of companies and attracting investments.”
“I am sure that Ukraine will soon become the largest European IT hub. I am grateful to President Volodymyr Zelensky for the political will and full support in the launch of Diia.City,” Fedorov wrote.
SPAR International and SPAR organizations in Europe are helping to solve the issue of employment for Ukrainians who had to move to European countries due to the war, according to a company release.
The company is currently accepting applications (temporary and long-term) from displaced Ukrainian citizens in the 17 EU countries where SPAR operates.
The applications consolidate information about the places of residence of internally displaced persons, the level of language proficiency and professional skills. As reported in the release, SPAR pan-European HR directors are united in an international working group to coordinate applications and place retail specialists from Ukraine in their network.
Founded in the Netherlands in 1932, SPAR International Grocery Store operates over 13,000 retail outlets in 52 countries. Since 2017, the network has been developed in Ukraine by the investment group VolWest Group (Lutsk). The network has 68 stores.
On November 4, 2021, a unique, in the context of Ukraine, event took place at the Interfax-Ukraine news agency, dedicated to the creation of a new and unified platform I-Dolina, which is designed to unite the creative industry of our state.
The event was organized by the International Technology Transfer Association represented by its head Artem Honcharenko.
Special attention was drawn to its speakers, namely:
– Oleh Sytnyk – representative of the Information Committee of the Silk Road Chamber of International Commerce;
– Ge Jian, Chief Representative of G-Global International Secretariat in China;
– Rostyslav Nakonechny – deputy chairman of the board of IBOX Bank;
– Nadiya Vasilyeva – director of the Digital Transformation Institute, Ph.D. in Economics, ex-CEO of Microsoft Ukraine;
– Andriy Zavadovsky – Principal Engineer, Office of CTO Security at Cisco;
– Svitlana Oleinykova – fundraising expert, managing partner of Synergy Universe group of companies – the first fundraising ecosystem in Ukraine;
– Den Tolmor – producer and writer, Oscar and Emmy nominations;
– Dmytro Kolesnikov – chairman of ARMA Ukraine, founder of UNI.UA;
– Iryna Polischuk – director of Kyiv Junior Academy of Sciences of student youth, candidate of chemical sciences;
– Oleksandr Pavlov – chairman of the board of the Ukraine-Israel Business Council;
– Oleksandr Tepliuk – member of the supervisory board of the International Technology Transfer Association.
Each speaker is not just a specialist in his field, but first of all a person who helps move and develop the creative industry, both in Ukraine and abroad.
Today in Ukraine there are already more than 200,000 specialists directly or indirectly related to the IT industry, and also, as Artem Honcharenko specified, more than a million people are involved in the entire creative industry, which is a huge number in the context of our country.
The IT cluster of specialists, already occupying its niche in the economy of our country, accounts for more than 4% of the GDP, and brings billions of dollars in revenues. However, at the state level there is little legislative and infrastructural support.
And therefore, self-organization, the creation of a single, independent platform can become a new driving mechanism that will accelerate the process of formation and development of the entire creative community of our state.
Each speaker expressed not only his vision of the future of this industry, but also supported the initiative to create a platform as a new unique tool.
Grant support, support for startups, copyrights, cooperation with foreign enterprises and organizations, as well as the creation of infrastructure facilities are just part of what the residents of the I-Dolina platform can soon receive.
Already this year, according to Artem Honcharenko, the founder of I-Dolina, for the first time in Ukraine, a competition will be held among developers, architects and building educational institutions for the Best Developer for the Creative Industry, the Best Architectural Project for the Creative Industry and the Best Educational Institution for the Creative Industry.
Next year, a joint event is planned with the Junior Academy of Sciences, where issues of monetization of science based on the new I-Dolina platform will be discussed, which will provide an additional incentive for young scientists and inventors.
A special place on the I-Dolina platform is given to cooperation with the educational institutions with which memorandums of cooperation have already been signed, namely Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture, Ternopil Puluj National Technical University, etc.
Also, agreements and memorandums will be signed with international companies and organizations, which will allow the development of the creative industry on the territory of the country, creating the best infrastructure facilities and conditions to stop the huge outflow of personnel from the country.
This measure, according to the participants and organizers, to create I-Dolina will be the first significant step, not only to unite representatives of the creative industry, but also to shape the industry as one of the most influential economic players, which is already influencing the formation of the future of Ukraine.
Particular thanks go to the speakers from the United States, Israel and China, who have already expressed their desire to cooperate on many projects. These countries are not only leaders in the development of technologies, but those who set them as the basis for the future of their countries.
The official presentation of the project “Governance and Local Accountability (Hoverla) Activity” with a budget of $74 million, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), took place in Kyiv.
“After the successful local elections in 2020, when Ukrainians elected representatives of their newly united regions and communities, now is the time to start a new phase in decentralization. Decentralization reform can ensure that all levels of Ukraine’s leadership represent the best modern democratic practices,” U.S. Charge d’Affaires in Ukraine Kristina Kvien said at the project presentation in Kyiv on Monday.
She said that one of the key next steps in decentralization is to adopt an amendment to the Ukrainian Constitution. “This is a long debated step and I encourage you all to work together to complete it,” Kvien said.
In turn, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal confirmed that for the irreversibility of the reform, it is important to introduce and consolidate in the Constitution of Ukraine the appropriate changes regarding a new model of local government, the territorial organization of power, built on the principles of decentralization and subsidiarity.
“Regarding the government’s action program in decentralization, I want to say that in order to complete the reform, the government is introducing a number of important measures to decentralize power and reform local government. Relevant bills for their implementation are already being developed,” he said.
According to the head of government, we are talking about the delineation of powers and the creation of appropriate material financial conditions for their implementation, reformatting local government administrations into prefectural-type agencies, improving the forms of inter-municipal cooperation as an effective mechanism for cooperation of territorial communities, introducing a new municipal service, improving the forms of attracting residents to making managerial decisions and determining the procedure for resolving issues of the administrative territorial structure.
“The government focuses on strengthening the institutional and financial capacity of communities and their development,” Shmyhal said. The prime minister said the pilot areas of the project have already been selected, Volyn, Lviv, Poltava, and also add there is a need to expand the geography of the project to other regions and other communities.
Chief of the Hoverla project Gabriel Abraham said the project has already identified the first 25 partner communities from Lviv, Poltava and Volyn regions.
“During the implementation of the project, Hoverla plans to use replicable models and mechanisms to increase support for two more communities with the involvement of partners, associations of local government, other civil society actors and government agencies,” he said.
Abraham said the project is designed for five years, until 2026. “The activities of Hoverla are based on three principal goals. The first goal is to support policies and laws. The second goal is to support local officials. The third goal is to support the interaction of citizens with their officials,” the project manager said.
