The solemn signing of the memorandum of cooperation between Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University and International European University took place on September 15, 2021.
The signing of the document will ensure the establishment of interaction and fruitful cooperation between the two historically related institutions. And also, it will become the foundation for the establishment of close cooperation of the parties in the development of educational, career guidance and information activities, and will also become a platform for the implementation of individual educational, informational, cultural, artistic, sports and other projects.
It should be noted that President of International European University is Franz Volodymyr von Habsburg-Lothringen – Archduke of Austria, a descendant of Emperor Franz Joseph. The history of Chernivtsi National University began in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, because its founder was Emperor Franz Joseph, the ancestor of Volodymyr Habsburg. Within the framework of the visit, flowers were laid at the monument to Franz Joseph.
The participants in the signing of the memorandum were:
1. Franz Volodymyr von Habsburg-Lothringen
President of International European University
2. Petrishin Roman Ivanovych
Rector of Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University
3. Huitor Mykola Mykolayovych
First Deputy Chairman of Chernivtsi Regional Council
4. Tolstoukhov Anatoliy Volodymyrovych
Chairman of the Development Assistance Council of International European University
5. Marusyk Tamara Volodymyrivna
Vice rector for scientific and pedagogical work on the educational process of Chernivtsi National University
6. Kulikov Oleksiy Petrovych
Advisor to the President of International European University on the development of the university
Franz Volodymyr, during his speech, repeatedly mentioned the President of the Pan-European Movement of Austria, Karl von Habsburg, who is directly related to the Blue Shield committee, which deals with the protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflicts and natural disasters. In 2011, at the 35th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre committee in Paris, it was decided to include the former Residence of Bukovinian and Dalmatian Metropolitans in the World Heritage List.
During the ceremonial meeting, the descendant of the emperor presented the Museum of Chernivtsi National University with an original designed copy of the congratulatory letter of Franz Joseph on the occasion of the founding of an educational institution in Chernivtsi with his wishes and presented the unique things of Franz Joseph. Among them are the portraits of monarchs with original signatures, royal seals, the cane and the bowl of Franz Joseph.
Export Credit Agency (ECA) and export credit agency KUKE S.A. (Poland) have signed a memorandum of cooperation to support and facilitate trade and foreign investment between Poland and Ukraine, according to the ECA website.
According to the memorandum, companies can propose joint projects, hold meetings and exchange general information on business development, new products, structural changes, country policies and insurance standards.
“Ukraine is becoming an increasingly important economic partner for Poland: it ranks third among the largest Polish export destinations covered by KUKE and is still growing dynamically. The agreement recently signed by our agencies will allow exporters from both countries to cooperate, including under joint projects in third markets. At the same time, the agreement gives KUKE an opportunity to share with our Ukrainian partner 30 years of export support experience, becoming an important factor in the stable economic development of Ukraine,” President and Managing Director of KUKE Janusz Władyczak said.
ECA is an agency authorized by the government, the purpose of which is to stimulate the export of Ukrainian goods and services, and the main task is to protect Ukrainian exporters from the risk of non-payment and financial losses associated with the implementation of foreign economic agreements (contracts) through insurance, reinsurance and collateral.
KUKE S.A. was established in 1991 by the State Treasury of Poland to support the export activities of Polish enterprises. As the official export credit agency of Poland, KUKE is authorized to provide export insurance with the support of the state treasury, helping Polish companies to develop abroad. KUKE currently operates in 120 export markets.
The Ministry for Development of Economy, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine and PJSC ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih (Dnipropetrovsk region) signed a memorandum for the implementation of new investment projects: the company plans to invest about $1 billion in new projects for environmental modernization and production development.
According to a press release from the ministry, the memorandum was signed on Wednesday by Minister Ihor Petrashko and ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih CEO Mauro Longobardo.
The Steel Billion, a new investment program of ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, will focus on environmental impact reduction, company sustainable development and introduction of circular economy principles: efficient use of resources, recycling and waste utilization.
“ArcelorMittal is a large investor, exporter and employer. Today we agreed that the company would significantly increase investments in Ukraine, and introduce advanced, environmentally friendly technologies in steel making, which is one of our strategic economy sectors. We expect that investment activity in our country will recover gradually after the crisis of 2020, and cooperation with the global largest steel producer will become an incentive for investors to contribute to Ukraine,” Petrashko said
Longobardo said that during 15 years of operation in Ukraine, the company has invested over $5 billion in production development, and now offers the new program Steel Billion, according to which about $1 billion will be invested into environmental modernization.
“We continue to implement large investment projects and are gradually transforming ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih into a modern European production. Steel Billion is our new program for Ukraine. By this program, we will finance green steel-making technologies and de-carbonization projects. This fully complies with ArcelorMittal Group’s strategy to become carbon-neutral. Actually, steel already has a lower carbon footprint compared to other materials: no other material has the same recovery and reuse capacities. The initiatives to be confirmed under the Memorandum today are a step forward in Ukraine’s industry. We count on cooperation and comprehensive support of the government on this way,” Longobardo said.
On April 14, Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal met with ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih Board Chairman Lakshmi Mittal. The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, Minister for Strategic Industries of Ukraine Oleh Urusky, Petrashko and representatives of ministries.
The head of the Ukrainian government welcomed the signing of a memorandum between the Ministry of Economy and the enterprise to support investment projects for the period 2022-2032. Shmyhal said that the signing of the memorandum was made possible thanks to the law initiated by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky on state support for projects with significant investments.
“Together with the President and Parliament, we launched effective tools that enhance the investment attractiveness of Ukraine. Today’s memorandum is one of the first successful examples when the large international company plans to use the appropriate tools and increase investments and the number of jobs in Ukraine,” Shmyhal said.
The head of government added that according to the memorandum, a significant part of the investments will relate to projects that reduce the negative impact on the environment. At the same time, the Prime Minister thanked the company’s management for socially important initiatives, the development of medicine and the support of the communities where the enterprise is located.
“The government calls on socially responsible business to join state initiatives in Ukraine, when investors become not only business partners of the state and communities, but also actively participate in the development of the region where they work. The government, for its part, is ready to comprehensively contribute to the further development of mutually beneficial relations and will continue work to improve the investment climate,” the Prime Minister said.
The Memorandum provides for the following areas of development and investment: green metallurgy, which contributes to less pollution and reduced carbon footprint; sustainable development of iron ore mining – continuation of mining activities for 30 years; creation of new industries, in particular rolling and bar mills; modernization of existing facilities; circular economy and waste management (utilization of biomass, streamlining of CO2 emissions, processing of slags and sludge).
The American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine asks Volodymyr Zelensky to take personal control over Ukraine’s fulfillment of the memorandum obligations between the country’s government and renewable energy investors, which were legislatively enshrined in 2020.
Such a request is contained in a letter from President of the American Chamber of Commerce Andy Hunder to the head of the Ukrainian state dated January 26.
“We ask you to take personal control over the implementation of the provisions of Law No. 810-IX and the fulfillment of obligations under the current legislation and refrain from taking decisions that undermine earlier agreements between the state and investors,” the text of the letter said.
As Hunder recalled, on August 1, 2020, the law on the amendments to certain laws of Ukraine on improving the conditions of support for electricity production from alternative energy sources (No. 810-IX) came into force.
Adoption of Law No. 810-IX was aimed at improving the feed-in tariff’s sustainability and electricity market liquidity by enshrining in law the provisions set out in the Memorandum of Understanding, signed on June 10, 2020 by the Cabinet of Ministers, the Energy Ministry, the National Energy and Utilities Regulatory Commission (NEURC) and renewable industry associations.
Inter alia, the provisions of Law No. 810-IX envisaged 20% co-financing from the state budget and issuance of government domestic loan bonds to cover the deficit in payments to renewable energy producers. However, none of these mechanisms was implemented either in the state budget for 2021 or using debt financing instruments.
“Accordingly, the American Chamber of Commerce members expected that the government will fulfill its obligations under the legislation and the memorandum by allocating at least UAH 9 billion from the attracted UAH 10.25 billion of credit funds to pay off 40% of the debt to renewable energy producers accumulated as of August 1, 2020 in the amount of UAH 22.4 billion. However, on January 16, 2021, the NEURC issued the Guaranteed Buyer an instruction to allocate not less than 50% of the funds received from Ukrenergo under the loans provided by state-owned banks for repaying other debts,” Hunder said.
He said that such NEURC decision combined with a lack of actions by the government to implement Law No. 810-IX is a clear sign of Ukraine’s unwillingness to fulfill its commitments to private investors.
Subsidiary of the state-owned company (SOE) Ukrspecexport – SOE Ukroboronservice and the design company of the Qatari port operator QTerminals W.L.L. – QTerminals Olvia LLC signed a memorandum of understanding and cooperation in the presence of Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine Vladyslav Krykliy.
The press service of the Ministry of Infrastructure said on Tuesday evening, the parties will work intensively to ensure proper implementation of the concession agreement and further efficient and profitable operation of the port.
“Olvia specialized seaport is our second concession project, under which we hired the world’s leading operator – Qatari company QTerminals, which manages the largest commercial port of Qatar – Hamad with the value of more than $7 billion. Today, the design company of the concessionaire QTerminals Olvia and Ukroboronservice signed the first memorandum of understanding and cooperation within the framework of this concession, which is an important achievement of the transition period,” the ministry’s press service said, citing Krykliy.
The minister said that, among other things, the document regulates issues related to the common use of infrastructure facilities, and will help the parties to unite efforts to develop strategic infrastructure around the port.
According to him, QTerminals Olvia LLC and SOE Ukroboronservice will jointly make efforts to carry out reconstruction and dredging works, increase the capacity of approach roads and the railway that leads to the port. And the Ministry of Infrastructure, as a concessionaire, will provide ongoing support to the concessionaire in establishing cooperation in the concession project with other state-owned enterprises.
The memorandum also provides for measures aimed at cooperation of the parties with local authorities and public authorities of Mykolaiv region, state-run enterprises and departments in order to ensure sustainable development, as well as the investment attractiveness of the region in which the project is being implemented.
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.
