Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Vadym Prystaiko and State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka Ravinatha Aryasinha, during the 74th session of the UN General Assembly, signed an agreement on visa waiver of citizens who use diplomatic, service or official passports.
“Prystaiko and Aryasinha have signed an agreement between the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka on visa waiver for citizens who use diplomatic, service or official passports,” the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine reported on Friday.
The parties discussed topical issues on the agenda of relations between the two countries, emphasizing the importance of intensifying political dialogue and enhancing interaction within international organizations. Issues of protection of interests of citizens of Ukraine and Sri Lanka were separately discussed.
Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada has ratified a protocol on Amendments to the Convention between the Government of Ukraine and the Republic of Turkey for avoidance of double taxation with respect to taxes on income and real estate.
An Interfax-Ukraine correspondent has reported that a total of 320 MPs backed bill No. 0005 on ratification of the amendments on Wednesday.
According to the conclusion of the foreign policy committee, the changes relate, in particular, to the procedure for taxation of income received by residents of the state, which is party in the treaty, from the disposal of shares or other rights; the procedure for taxation of remuneration received in connection with employment on a ship, aircraft, or other transport operated by an enterprise of the state, which is party in the treaty. The changes will also concern the exchange of information.
Vice-President for Energy Union Maroš Šefčovič has said that underground storage filling levels in the European Union (EU) and Ukraine are good.
“A few words on preparations ahead of this winter. I am glad to say that EU underground storage filling levels are very good – currently standing at 96% of full capacity,” Šefčovič said at a press conference in Brussels after the EU-Ukraine-Russia trilateral gas talks.
“Ukraine’s underground storage filling levels are also good – currently at around 19.6 billion cubic meters, almost 4 billion cubic meters above levels in September last year,” he said.
Ukraine as of September 9, 2019 threshed 39.7 million tonnes of grain and leguminous crops from 10.1 million ha (66% of the target) with an average yield of 3.92 tonnes per ha, the Agricultural Policy and Food Ministry of Ukraine has reported. According to the ministry, 281,000 tonnes of corn were threshed from an area of 46,000 ha (1%), buckwheat – 29,000 tonnes from 46,000 ha (32%), millet – 110,000 tonnes from 58,000 ha (64%). Early grain and leguminous crops collected 39.2 million tonnes from an area of 9.96 million hectares.
In addition, 2.5 million tonnes of sunflower were harvested from 1.2 million hectares (21%) with a yield of 2.04 tonnes per ha and 484,000 tonnes of soybeans from 214,000 ha (14%) with a yield of 2.26 tonnes per ha.
As reported, the ministry predicts this year’s harvest in Ukraine at 71.1 million tonnes (of which 27.8 million tonnes of wheat) compared to 70.1 million tonnes in 2018.
Belarus could host Olympic Games together with Russia or Ukraine, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said.
“Of course, it is hard for us to compete with giants, but we can host the Olympics together with, let us say, Ukrainians or Russians,” the BelTA state news agency cited Lukashenko as saying in Brest.
Facilities for the Olympic Games are ready in Belarus, he said. “We’re going to build the national soccer stadium and a facility for water sports now, and soccer remains. Russia has the infrastructure for soccer. We can easily host the Olympics with them. And here, in Belarus, we can host mostly the Summer Olympics with the help of Russians or Ukrainians. They have facilities we’re lacking,” Lukashenko said.
Belarus hosted the Second European Games in June.
Main trade partners of Ukraine in % from total volume (export from Ukraine to other countries) in Jan-June 2019
