Ocean Shipyard (Mykolaiv) has signed a memorandum with the state defense concern of Turkey on joint activities to implement a project to build a series of corvette class ships for the Ukrainian Navy in pursuance of a framework military agreement signed in October this year during a meeting of the two presidents in Ankara, as well as a contract for building corvettes signed by the parties in Kyiv on December 14.
According to the company’s press release, in order to localize the corvette program, the state defense concern of Turkey conducted an audit of the technical capabilities of Ukrainian shipbuilding enterprises. Ocean shipyard was selected and included in the corvette program, taking into account the unique technical capabilities of the enterprise, the availability of professional personnel and the current program of modernization of production assets.
The memorandum provides for the conclusion of separate contracts between the parties within clearly agreed terms and specific steps of cooperation within the framework of the corvette program.
PJSC Mykolaiv Shipyard Ocean specialized in the building and repair of container ships, tankers, tugs, barges with a deadweight of up to 350,000 tonnes.
The Turkish side at the recent negotiations between the presidents of the two countries in Ankara announced its interest in the possibility of completing the second unit of the world’s largest transport aircraft An-225 Mriya, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Strategic Industries of Ukraine Oleh Urusky has said.
“The situation was quite strange for me when, during the visit, President of Turkey and me raised the issue of completing the second Mriya and even despite the sum I said it would cost, the Turkish side said that we would continue discussion,” Urusky said at a press conference in Kyiv.
According to him, experts’ negotiations on this issue are expected.
“We cannot either complete the manufacture of Ruslan (An-125) or build new ones. However, we can complete the manufacture of Mriya both theoretically and practically,” the deputy prime minister said.
He added that the matter concerns the possibility of purchasing the An-178 medium transport aircraft, since Turkey has an interest in strategic transport aircraft.
The An-225 Mriya is the largest and most powerful transport aircraft in the world, created by Kyiv Antonov Design Bureau. The An-225 with a maximum curb weight of 640 tonnes is the heaviest aircraft in the world. In November 2004, the World Air Sports Federation included the An-225 into the Guinness World Records for its 240 records.
Creditwest Bank (Kyiv) unreasonably blocks the property that is pledged by it on the repaid loan, the owner of the group of companies Voda UA, Karpatska Dzherelna Vysokohirna, Horianka, Dmytro Nikiforov, has said.
“After all obligations under the loan agreement have been fulfilled, the bank continues to hold the property in pledge, conducts incomprehensible correspondence and constantly asks us to provide certain documents regarding financial reporting, our turnover in other banks,” he said at a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine agency.
“They made it very clear to us … that they are not going to release pledge from our property,” Nikiforov added.
According to him, the obligations of his companies on the loan to Creditwest Bank were fulfilled on October 1 and, according to the loan agreement, the bank had to remove the encumbrance from the pledge within five days.
Nikiforov clarified that in 2018 the companies attracted a loan from Creditwest Bank in the amount of UAH 15 million to replenish working capital and finance investment projects. Later, according to the owner, he sold one of the companies that was the borrower for this loan, and after a while this company stopped serving him.
For the purpose of settlements, Nikiforov began to negotiate with the bank, at the same time the bank sold the corresponding non-performing loan to a financial company owned by the persons who own the company that stopped servicing the loan, the owner of Voda UA noted.
“Later, the financial company, bypassing the lender, tried to contact me to recover my property as a surety to repay this loan … In this case, we see a very clear algorithm for removing the unscrupulous borrower from liability,” Nikiforov said.
In his opinion, Creditwest Bank can block the pledge in the interests of the partner of its chairman of the board.
“When the story with the loan transfer took place, chairman of the board Ihor Tikhonov … suggested that I transfer part of the business to my business partner. On what conditions I didn’t listen, as I interrupted the conversation,” Nikiforov said.
He stressed that he plans to collect funds from the bank in accordance with the procedure established by law for each day of delay in the unreleased encumbrance from the pledge. In addition, Nikiforov is going to apply to law enforcement agencies regarding possible personal corruption motives of the bank’s management.
ACCUSES, BLOCKING, CREDITWEST BANK, PROPERTY, TURKEY, VODA UA
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky believes that Ukraine and Turkey could jointly do a lot in the field of aircraft construction and the creation of unmanned aircraft systems.
“As for the Antonov aircraft, we are certainly pleased with the interest in this enterprise. It is just as logical that in the field of aircraft construction, we can do a lot together with our Turkish friends,” he said in an interview with the Demirören Turkish news agency, answering a question whether there are new joint projects that the two countries plan to implement in the defense industry, and whether it is possible to start joint production of Turkish unmanned aircraft and the Antonov aircraft.
Zelensky said that Turkish unmanned aircraft have proven to be the best. “This is exactly the type of hardware that can completely change the situation on the battlefield. We are certainly interested in joint production. There is nothing special to explain, everything is simple. Turkey is showing serious success in this sector, and we purchase these products. Ukraine, in turn, produces engines for unmanned aircraft. Therefore, the launch of a joint venture is a natural move,” he said.
The president also said that these are far from all areas in which Ukraine can and expects to cooperate with Turkey in the context of the defense industry. “Engine building, development of air defense systems, joint production of a corvette-class ship. The potential for cooperation is huge,” Zelensky said.
SkyUp Airlines (Kyiv) will launch flights from Kyiv to Kayseri (Turkey) from December 27, 2020.
The airline’s press service said on Thursday that the flights will be operated twice a week: on Thursdays and Sundays.
The round-trip will cost at least UAH 5,400 without luggage. The duration of the trip is any of the passenger’s choice.
As reported, SkyUp will launch the Kyiv-Sofia (Bulgaria)-Kyiv flight for the period from December 23, 2020 to January 30, 2021.
The Interdepartmental Commission on International Trade (ICMT) at a meeting on Wednesday decided to initiate an anti-dumping investigation into the import of cement from Turkey, and also established a single quota for imports of sulfuric acid, regardless of the country of origin.
“Members of the ICMT considered the liberalization of special measures regarding the import of sulfuric acid and oleum to Ukraine, regardless of the country of origin and export. In particular, it was decided to amend the current decision on the application of special measures by establishing a single quota for the import of sulfuric acid, regardless of the country of origin,” the Ministry for Development of Economy, Trade and Agriculture said on its website on Wednesday.
At the same time, the Ministry of Economy added that the ICMT will additionally consider the issue of further liberalizing the action of special measures.
Among the decisions of the commission is to terminate the investigation of the import of syringes regardless of the country of origin and export without the application of special measures, as well as to terminate investigations on the import of caustic soda, regardless of the country of origin without the application of special measures.
