Parliament passes anticrisis measures, adjourns till November 10
KYIV, Oct. 31: Parliament has passed measures to stabilize the country's financial system. The second and final readings of the bill were supported by 243 MPs of the 450-seat chamber. The factions of the progovernment Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc, propresidential Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defence and the Lytvyn Bloc supported the bill. Parliament had voted on over 150 amendments by individual amendment through the day. However, Parliament refused to agree to one condition of the International Monetary Fund by voting against a three-year freeze on minimum salaries. Speaker Yatsenyuk said that in all likelihood Ukraine will not get the 16.5bn-dollar stabilization loan. More
Euro-2012 official says misreported on progress of preparations
KYIV, Oct. 31: The deputy head of the national agency in 
charge of preparations for the Euro-2012 football championships, Yevhen Vilinskiy, has said that his remarks made yesterday about "the suspension of construction of 80 per cent of Euro 2012 facilities" only applied to hotel infrastructure. "I would like to note that the remarks were made at a meeting with developers which focused on the hotel infrastructure. Indeed, we took a trip round Dnipropetrovsk - I've even got a report. Of course, there is a stadium and some other facilities, but as soon as we looked at hotels - no work is being done, no work is being done," he said in an interview with UNIAN today. More
Security chief says separatist groups pose no serious threat to Ukraine
KYIV, Oct. 31: The acting head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Valentyn Nalyvaychenko, has said that separatists organizations in Ukraine are not numerous, are not supported by the authorities and, therefore, not dangerous. He was speaking at a news conference in Donetsk.
"As regards the scale of the threat, these organizations are not numerous and are in essence artificially created with external funding. Therefore, we should say that we are adequately aware of what they are doing, and that we will deal with them in the legal realm and will prosecute them in courts," Nalyvaychenko said. He noted that such organizations "pose no serious threat because they are not numerous and are not supported either by local or central authorities". He added that the SBU was currently investigating several criminal cases linked to separatism. "The investigation of the criminal case that was instituted this June in Transcarpathian Region over the so-called European congress of Rusyns, is under way. This organization is not recognized even in Europe, that is why the use of the word European by representatives of the so-called organization is improper and deceitful," Nalyvaychenko said. "Separatism in Transcarpathian Region has been given a resolute rebuff," he said. More
President's office critical of central bank's steps to stabilize currency
KYIV, Oct. 30: The presidential secretariat has criticized actions by the National Bank of Ukraine to support the national currency, the 5 Kanal TV channel has reported. Presidential secretariat deputy head Oleksandr Shlapak said that the NBU's actions on the foreign exchange market have not improved the situation. In particular, Shlapak said that the NBU had spent almost 5bn dollars from its reserves, but the market did not feel any positive impact and the hryvnya continued to plunge, the TV quoted Shlapak as saying. Shlapak accused the NBU of selling foreign currency to selected banks at rates much lower than the market. This led to some banks making big profits and others losing money. More
US urges Kenya, Ukraine to disclose owners of weapons on hijacked ship
KYIV, Oct. 30: US Assistant Secretary of State for 
African Affairs Jendayi Frazer has asked the Kenyan and the Ukrainian governments to disclose the owners of the tanks and weapons hijacked off the Somali coast. Frazer said the US was more concerned about preventing the weapons from getting to terrorists in Somalia, but that the two countries should shed light on who actually owns the weaponry. More
President says troubled Prominvestbank's woes not linked to global crisis
KYIV, Oct. 30: Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has said that the reasons that led to the situation with Prominvestbank which ran into liquidity problems in September as depositors started withdrawing money en masse, are of an internal Ukrainian nature and cannot be linked to the global financial crisis. More
Antonov to present airliner at air show in Iran
KYIV, Oct. 29: A new generation medium-range airliner, the An-148-100, will be presented at the international air show that opened on the Kish Island in the Persian Gulf on Oct. 28, the press service of the Antonov Aviation Research and Technical Complex (ANTK) reports. The An-148 is being shown in Iran as its air companies display much interest in the plane. The An-148 airliners are expected to supplement on Iran's air routes the turboprop An-140 airliners operating in the region since November 2004. More
Poll shows most Ukrainians want to join EU, oppose NATO
KYIV, Oct. 29: A total of 42.2 per cent of Ukrainians 
support Ukraine's joining the EU, an opinion poll conducted by the Razumkov centre has shown. The poll results were announced at a news conference on Oct. 28. The poll was conducted on Oct. 7-19, with 10,865 respondents in all regions of Ukraine polled. The margin of error does not exceed 1 per cent. The poll showed that 30.2 per cent of Ukrainians are against joining the EU and 22.7 per cent were undecided. More
Kharkiv based tank manufacturer gets export rights
KHARKIV, Oct. 29: The Kharkiv-based Morozov machine-building design bureau has received special exporter rights till March 1 2010, in accordance with Cabinet resolution No 896. It grants the bureau the right to export military products it manufactures (armoured vehicles, training equipment and parts to it), as well as import military products required for its own production. The special exporter rights expire on March 1 2010. More
Fuel traders probed over suspected price collusion
POLTAVA, Oct. 28: The Anti-Monopoly Committee of Ukraine has opened a case against the largest oil traders on suspected collusion in groundlessly increasing fuel prices at fuel stations, the committee's acting head, Oleksandr Melnychenko, has told journalists in Poltava. In particular, he said, a simultaneous price increase for A-95 fuel in Kyiv and Kyiv Region will be scrutinized. More
Ukraine resumes state tests of An-70 military transport plane
KYIV, Oct. 28: Ukraine has resumed the suspended 
stage of state tests of the new military transport Antonov An-70 aircraft. The B stage tests are being carried out according to schedule, the Antonov ANTK design bureau announced. The An-70 will practice dropping servicemen and cargo in flight and practice slowdown on landing. The state testing programme will need funding of 132m dollars in 2011. The Antonov ANTK bureau has begun updating electronic equipment and other systems of the military plane. More
Ukraine sees Russia's threat to cancel visa-free regime as anti-NATO move
KYIV, Oct. 28: The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has described Russia's statement on the possible cancellation of a visa-free regime with Ukraine as an attempt to put political pressure to prevent Ukraine's entry into NATO, it was reported on Oct. 27. More
Ukrainian president leaves for Turkey
KYIV, Oct. 27: Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has left for a two-day visit to Turkey. During the visit, Yushchenko will meet President Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, parliamentary speaker Keksal Toptan to discuss bilateral cooperation as well as issues related to international security. The Ukrainian president will also meet top Turkish businessmen "who plan to expand their activities in Ukraine" and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to discuss "topical issues of world orthodoxy". More
Premier calls on oil traders to reduce fuel prices, confirms imminent cuts
KYIV, Oct. 27: Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko 
has demanded that oil traders lower fuel prices. "We will discuss the schedule for lowering fuel prices. My job is to hear that from Nov. 1 the price for fuel and diesel will be exactly what we agree on now. Otherwise, the entire state machinery will be launched (to force oil traders to reduce prices)," she said opening a meeting with oil market participants in Kyiv today. Tymoshenko said that the world oil price has tumbled over the last few months and expressed surprise that fuel prices in Ukraine have not fallen accordingly. More
No early election if new coalition formed, presidential official suggests
KYIV, Oct. 27: MPs should decide on the way out of the political impasse as soon as possible, the deputy head of the presidential secretariat and the president's representative in the Constitutional Court and the Central Electoral Commission, Maryna Stavniychuk, has said. "Each day wasted by the Supreme Council results in an escalation of the economic crisis and the spreading of the chaos. Parliamentarians must decide on the way out of the political impasse as soon as possible: either an early election or a new parliamentary coalition should be formed," the presidential press service quoted Stavniychuk as saying today. More
NBU reserves tumble 8% in three weeks
KYIV, Oct. 24: The gross international reserves of the National Bank of Ukraine fell 8.6 per cent, or by 3.229bn dollars, down to 34.299bn dollars in the period of Oct. 1-21, the governor of the National Bank of Ukraine, Volodymyr Stelmakh, has said.
"The international liquidity reserves are 34.299bn dollars," he told journalists. He said 4.055bn dollars worth of foreign currency was sold on the interbank forex market (not including NBU interventions) in October. More
Deputy minister says Ukraine to remain neutral on Kosovo
KYIV, Oct. 24: Ukraine's stance on Kosovo is dictated by its 
wish to remain neutral and protect its peacekeepers, Deputy Foreign Minister Kostyantyn Yeliseyev told reporters in Brussels today. "We want to have a neutral approach," he said.
Yeliseyev said there are 500 Ukrainian peacekeepers within KFOR and the mission of UN military police in Kosovo now. "If Ukraine adopts some stance, the issue of security of our peacekeepers will arise," he said. Yeliseyev said a solution to the Kosovo issue should be sought within the EU and that both Serbia and Kosovo would become its members in the future.
Ukraine accuses Russia of forcing famine issue off UN agenda
KYIV, Oct. 24: The Russian Federation, using "pressure and blackmail", attempts to deny Ukraine its right to submit the issue of the 1932-33 famine in Ukraine for consideration by the UN General Assembly. The press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said that on Oct. 23 the General Committee of the UN General Assembly, after a heated debate, refused to put the issue of the 1932-33 famine in Ukraine on the agenda of the current session of the UN General Assembly. More
Ukraine, Poland to discuss preparations for Euro-2012 next week
KYIV, Oct. 23: Polish President Lech Kaczynski and Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko are expected to take part in the economic summit of Ukraine and Poland to be held in Donetsk, Ukraine, on Oct. 28-29, the spokesman for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Vasyl Kyrylych, has said. The spokesman told reporters that the summit would discuss projects related to preparations for Euro-2012, which is to be held in Poland and Ukraine. According to Kyrylych, the meeting will be attended by more than 400 businessmen and representatives of state institutions from both countries.
Security service busts cyber fraud ring
KYIV, Oct. 23: As a result of a special operation, the 
Security Service of Ukraine acting in cooperation with the Dutch police and the Russian Federal Security Service has put an end to the illegal activities of Ukrainian and Russian citizens who obtained unauthorized access to the accounts of clients in foreign banks via the Internet. The news was announced by the SBU press centre. More
Senior election official says poll not possible before December 21
KYIV, Oct. 23: It will not be possible to hold the snap parliamentary election in Ukraine either on December 7 or 14, the deputy head of the Central Electoral Commission, Andriy Mahera, has said. "The CEC will not be ready either by Dec. 7 or 14 because there is a certain period of the election campaign during which certain measures can be taken," Mahera said on Oct. 22. "It is 52 days before Dec. 14 now, whereas the snap election campaign should last from 54 to 60 days," he added. More
Party of Regions blames Cabinet for inability to fight crisis
KYIV, Oct. 22: Opposition Party of Regions leader Viktor Yanukovych has addressed the nation and blamed the Cabinet of Yulia Tymoshenko for the recent slowdown in economic growth and inability to protect society from the impact of the financial crisis. Yanukovych's address was broadcast on the evening of Oct. 21. "Tymoshenko and the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc, along with the entire Orange team, have left society without protection against the economic, social and financial crises which they have been creating for the whole of this year," Yanukovych said. "The government will bear responsibility for a catastrophic deterioration of living standards, the ruining of the economy, surging unemployment, rising prices and high inflation," Yanukovych said. More
Court adjourns case on Parliament’s dissolution till October 24
KYIV, Oct. 22: The Kyiv administrative court of appeal has postponed until Oct. 24 the hearing of the appeal filed by the presidential secretariat against the resolution by judge Volodymyr Keleberda of the Kyiv district administrative court suspending President Viktor Yushchenko's decree disbanding Parliament and calling an early election, 5 Kanal TV reported today. The report said that the hearing was put off because the court did not have Keleberda's original resolution.
A representative of Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko's bloc said the president had hidden the resolution to complicate the case, whereas the presidential secretariat insisted it was in Keleberda's safe. More
CME media group acquires One Plus One
KYIV, Oct. 22: Central European Media Enterprises Ltd has announced that several days ago it completed the purchase of the remaining 10 per cent of the Studio One Plus One group following the exercise of its call option. CME now owns 100 per cent of the Ukrainian television station. Michael Garin, CME's Chief Executive Officer, commented: "This is the final step in achieving full control of Studio One Plus One, one of the key objectives of our strategy in Ukraine. As a result, we expect to strengthen our performance and position in this market. Our goal for the future is to make Studio One Plus One the number one television station in Ukraine." More
Security service says no evidence of illegal arms supplies to Georgia
KYIV, Oct. 21: President Viktor Yushchenko did not give orders for the illegal shipment of weapons to Georgia, said Valentyn Nalyvaychenko, acting chief of the Security Service of Ukraine, has said. "I can declare under my total responsibility that the Ukrainian president did not give any orders or instructions concerning the so-called illegal arms exports. I would like to stress that Ukraine is using a modern and efficient expert control system, so any statements by certain politicians about arms supplies to Georgia or any other country are unsubstantiated and untrue," Nalyvaychenko said in an interview with the Komsomolskaya Pravda in Ukraine newspaper published on Oct. 20. "I must state officially that Ukraine - and this information (on whether the president is involved in Ukrainian arms supplies to Georgia) was verified by the SBU - does not sell weapons to other countries illegally," he said. More
Bank governor says Ukraine to set up stabilization fund
KYIV, Oct. 21: The head of the National Bank of Ukraine, Volodymyr Stelmakh, has said that the National Security and Defence Council approved the creation of a stabilization fund. Stelmakh was speaking with journalists after the council ended its sitting on Oct. 20. "The council has determined that the fund is necessary," Stelmakh said, adding that "it is the government that has to determine this fund's size and the sources to fill it". Stelmakh has said that problems in the Ukrainian banking system are mostly of a subjective nature. "The crisis in the Ukrainian banking system is mostly of a subjective nature, as we had no innovative financial instruments," Stelmakh said, adding that the liquidity level in Ukrainian banks causes no concern. More
Snap election rescheduled for December 14
KYIV, Oct. 20: President Viktor Yushchenko today suspended his decree on the early parliamentary election scheduled for Dec. 7. Yushchenko made a statement to this effect during a live appearance broadcast by major TV channels this evening. He also said that he would move the date of the snap election from Dec. 7 to Dec. 14.
Yushchenko noted that he made this move so as to enable Parliament to meet and adopt legislation to allocate funds for the snap election and to amend the 2008 state budget accordingly.
President urges Cabinet, central bank to coordinate anti-crisis policy
KYIV, Oct. 20: Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has urged the Cabinet and the National Bank of Ukraine to pursue a unified policy in order to minimize the repercussions of the global financial crisis and preserve trust in financial institutions. His opening speech at a meeting of the National Security and Defence Council today was broadcast live by two Ukrainian TV channels.
"The main goal of our today's sitting is to ensure that the cabinet, the NBU and other involved institutions speak with one voice, speak from one position, give common clear estimates. I am confident that today it is very important to give professional opinions on this or that trend because a key moment in avoiding a deep crisis is to preserve trust in relations towards the authorities, the financial and bank sectors, in the course that we can approve today," he said.
While outlining the agenda of the NSDC's sitting, Yushchenko presented a draft law on the efforts that need to be taken, in the view of experts, in order to minimize the negative impact on Ukraine of the global financial crisis.
He said it deals with four issues: how to rationalize the budget policy, what needs to be done to avoid a recession, what to do with the payment balance, and how to improve the liquidity of the banking sector. Other issues on the agenda, he said, include reform of the judiciary and the Security Service of Ukraine, migration policy and relief to flood-affected areas of western Ukraine.
Party of Regions leader says metals sector in crisis
KYIV, Oct. 20: Opposition Party of Regions leader Viktor Yanukovych has said that the mining and metallurgy sector in Ukraine is in severe crisis. Speaking in an interview broadcast by the ICTV channel on Oct. 19, he said, "Today the companies in the mining and metallurgy sector are on the verge of breakdown because a support program for the sector, which is the foundation of the Ukrainian economy, has not been considered on time." More
President dismisses premier's coalition initiative as inexpedient
KYIV, Oct. 20: President Viktor Yushchenko has described as inexpedient Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko's initiative to create an anti-crisis coalition of parliamentary factions to protect Ukraine from the repercussions of the global financial crisis. The president's press secretary, Iryna Vannykova, said this at a briefing in Kyiv today. "In the president's opinion, the prime minister's initiative to create a so-called coalition of protection against the global financial crisis in these terms is inexpedient," she said. More
President concerned over lack of funds to fight AIDS, TB
KYIV, Oct. 20: President Viktor Yushchenko has said that the funding of efforts to counteract and prevent AIDS and TB is one of the country's most difficult problems, as this year’s budget does not provide sufficient funds for this. Speaking at the first meeting of the Council for AIDS, TB and Drug addiction in Kyiv today, he stressed that such problems can only be resolved if efforts are united. More
Premier supports nationalization of Prominvestbank, plays down world crisis
KYIV, Oct. 17: Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has said the government supports the nationalization of Ukraine's sixth largest bank, Prominvestbank. She was speaking during a news conference broadcast today. "I, as prime minister, support the nationalization of Prominvestbank. The bank fell victim not to some factors of the financial crisis, but to a banal raider attack, which was not stopped in time by the uniformed agencies," she said. More
Court adjourns hearing again of snap election case
KYIV, Oct. 17: The Kyiv administrative court of appeal has adjourned the hearing of an appeal filed by the presidential secretariat against the ruling of the Kyiv district administrative court on suspending the presidential decree disbanding Parliament till the morning of October 21. A deputy head of the presidential secretariat, Maryna Stavniychuk, made a statement to that effect after the court sitting today. More
Security council to hold meeting on crisis relief on Monday
KYIV, Oct. 17: A special meeting of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine will take place on Oct. 20, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency quoted the presidential press secretary, Iryna Vannykova, as saying today. "A detailed analysis of the counter-crisis plan for stabilization of the financial system of Ukraine and reduction of the negative impact of the global financial crisis on the national economy is being carried out today. Other points of the meeting's agenda are also being discussed," Vannykova said. More
Security service seeks closure of branch of Russian NGO
KYIV, Oct. 16: The Security Service of Ukraine has sent materials to the Justice Ministry to stop the activities of the Ukrainian branch of the Institute of CIS Countries, acting SBU head Valentyn Nalyvaychenko has said. "We can confirm that the SBU has sent materials containing solid evidence to the Justice Ministry where we, in accordance with Ukrainian legislation, asked for the cancellation of registration and a stop to the activities of the branch of the so-called Institute of CIS Countries," he told a news conference in Kyiv.
The SBU has grounds to believe, Nalyvaychenko said, that members of the institute's Ukrainian branch, who organized a conference and denied the fact of the 1932-33 famine, should bear administrative responsibility as stipulated by legislation. More
Security service says conspiracy behind chaos at Prominvestbank
KYIV, Oct. 16: The situation at Prominvestbank, pushed to the verge of bankruptcy after a dispute among its owners, was created and masterminded by a criminal group in order to legalize abroad nearly 400m hryvnyas, the acting chief of the Security Service of Ukraine, Valentyn Nalyvaychenko, said on Oct. 15. "The situation at Prominvestbank was caused, organized and implemented by a group of individuals, a criminal group, in essence, to cover the transfer abroad, laundering and legalization of dirty funds - 400m hryvnyas," he told a news conference in Kyiv. More
Regional prosecutor dies in apparent accidental death
KYIV, Oct. 16: Dnipropetrovsk regional prosecutor Volodymyr Shuba killed himself yesterday during firing practice, law-enforcement bodies reported yesterday. The resulted from the misuse of weapons and that it happened about an hour ago at the Robin Hood commercial firing-range in Dnipropetrovsk.
The bullet penetrated the prosecutor's chest near his heart.
Deputy speaker says challenge by YTB to dissolution decree is groundless
KYIV, Oct. 15: Deputy parliamentary speaker Olekandr Lavrynovych has said that the attempt by the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc to challenge President Viktor Yushchenko's decree on Parliament’s dissolution is without legal basis. Lavrynovych, who represents the Party of Regions, says in an interview with the Den newspaper that this is one of the few decrees that Yushchenko has signed that is fully in line with the Constitution of Ukraine and describes its suspension by the ruling of a local court as an "assault on the legal foundations of the state". More
Cabinet defies order to allocate funds for election, as premier criticizes election decree
KYIV, Oct. 15: The Ukrainian Cabinet of 
Ministers will not allocate funds for an early parliamentary election and calls on President Viktor Yushchenko to cancel his decree disbanding parliament, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has said. Speaking at a news conference on Oct. 14, Tymoshenko said the Cabinet would not use its reserves to fund the election. She said: "The cabinet has explained in its resolution that one cannot fund the election campaign from the reserve fund, since it contradicts the law, since the reserve fund was set up to deal with disasters, with very difficult circumstances in which our country finds itself, and so the Cabinet, of course, cannot use half a billion to finance someone's whims." More
Atisreal expands global alliance network in Ukraine and Netherlands
KYIV, Oct. 15: Atisreal has expanded its international scope signing new alliance contracts with Holland Realty Partners in the Netherlands and Astera in Ukraine. In Ukraine, Atisreal has further cemented its alliance with Astera, having already joined up with Astera’s Russian business in February of this year. Henri Faure, chairman of Atisreal International, says: “We can unlock synergies with the BNP Paribas group in these two regions, and make use of their market knowledge and customers, to which the group can now also offer our real estate services.” More
Cabinet fails to meet President's deadline for money to fund snap vote
KYIV, Oct. 14: The Cabinet of Ministers has not allocated any money for a snap election due on December 7 from the reserve fund in the state budget, the Obkom website said on Oct. 13, quoting the Cabinet's press service. The Cabinet had no plans to meet and is not going to meet on Oct. 13, as its regular meetings take place on Wednesdays, the press service said. The site quoted Ukrainian Justice Minister Mykola Onishchuk as saying that a decision to earmark money for a snap election from the reserve fund can only be taken at a Cabinet meeting. More
Court adjourns case on Parliament’s dissolution till Friday
KYIV, Oct. 14: The Kyiv administrative court of appeal has postponed until Oct. 17 the hearing of the appeal filed by the presidential secretariat against the resolution by the Kyiv district administrative court suspending President Viktor Yushchenko's decree disbanding Parliament and calling an early election, Maryna Stavniychuk, a deputy head of the presidential secretariat, said today. More
Premier asks President to cancel snap election amid financial crisis
KYIV, Oct. 14: Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has called on President Viktor Yushchenko to cancel his decree disbanding Parliament and calling an early parliamentary election to tackle the effects of the global financial crisis on the national economy. MoreNational Bank restricts withdrawal of deposits from banks
KYIV, Oct. 13: The National Bank of Ukraine has imposed limits on the early withdrawal of bank deposits, also banning spreads between the buy and sell rates of foreign currency of more than 5 per cent.
The decision is stipulated by NBU resolution No 319 dated Oct. 11, a copy of which Interfax-Ukraine has at its disposal.
Premier confident snap election will not be held
KYIV, Oct. 13: Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has expressed confidence that there will be no snap election. Speaking in a recorded interview on the Inter TV channel on Oct. 12, she said: "I know there will be no election. I am confident that everything should be done made to prevent the election. We don't want the election, because this means chaos once again." "I am categorically against the decree. I believe that when the entire world is uniting their teams to oppose the financial crisis, when 200-year-old banks are collapsing, when governments, parliaments, oppositions and coalitions unite in other countries and, on the contrary, postpone even scheduled elections, we absolutely cannot hold a snap election." More
President insists on early election going ahead
KYIV, Oct. 13: President Viktor Yushchenko is not going to revoke his decree calling an early parliamentary election on December 7 even if Parliament fails to pass decisions needed for the election to be held. Speaking in a recorded interview on the Inter TV channel on Oct. 12, Yushchenko said: "No, there will be no decisions or actions of this kind." He went on to say that the reserve fund has over 900m hryvnyas that can be used to fund the election. Yushchenko said someone's "ambitions" were behind the vote of Sept. 2 in Parliament, as Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko's bloc joined forces with the opposition Party of Regions and the Communists to pass bills reducing presidential powers and other bills. More
Switzerland extradites Elita-tsentr housing scam suspect to Ukraine
KYIV, Oct. 10: One of the alleged masterminds behind the Elita-tsentr housing scam in Kyiv, Oleksandr Volkonskiy (Shakhov), was flown to Kyiv from Switzerland yesterday afternoon under an extradition the agreement. Once formally charged, Shakhov is expected to be taken to a remand centre or to a court to choose a form of pre-trial custody.
"The Prosecutor-General's Office has already asked the court to choose a form of pre-trial custody," the PGO press service said. Swiss law-enforcement agencies detained Volkonskiy, whose real surname is said to be Shakhov and who was born in Russia in 1971, in late October 2007, when he was passing through passport control in Geneva airport and showed a forged Israeli passport. More
President says Cabinet to work until new premier confirmed, does not rule out heading bloc
KYIV, Oct. 10: Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has said that the current Cabinet led by Yulia Tymoshenko will carry out its duties until a newly-elected Parliament confirms a new candidate for prime minister. "I am sure that the Cabinet will remain. There is no need to revise the executive branch in any way," he told reporters in Rome yesterday, the presidential press service reported. Yushchenko said that today Ukraine should be "collected and efficient in its system of administration". More
Syrian premier, Ukrainian official discuss economic, trade, energy cooperation
DAMASCUS, Oct. 10: Prime Minister Muhammad Naji al-Itri reviewed bilateral cooperation with Ukrainian First Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Turchynov on Oct. 9. The two sides also discussed historical friendship between the two countries and joint desire to further develop these relations. More
Decree sets early parliamentary election for December 7
KYIV, Oct. 9: Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko's decision to dissolve Parliament is now in legal force after a relevant decree was posted on his website this morning. It says an early election to Parliament is to be held on Dec. 7 2008.
He announced the decision in a pre-recorded address on the evening of Oct. 8. Yushchenko's decision came after parliamentary forces were unable to agree on forming a new coalition. More
Top presidential aide criticizes opponents of snap election
KYIV, Oct. 9: Leaders of minor parties within the 
propresidential Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defence faction have called the decree by Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko on Parliament’s dissolution "mistaken and unconstitutional". The Forward Ukraine party chaired by Viktor Musiyaka, the People's Movement of Ukraine (Rukh) headed by Borys Tarasyuk, the Christian Democratic Union headed by Volodymyr Stretovych and Defenders of the Fatherland headed by Yuriy Karmazin, along with the People's Self-Defence movement chaired by Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko, said at a briefing in Parliament they were against dissolution of Parliament and a snap election. More
UN authorizes force to free hijacked ship
KYIV, Oct. 9: The UN has authorized force to free a hijacked ship. The UN Security Council resolved that states with warships and planes in the area should attack the ship "on the high seas and airspace off the coast of Somalia". More
Ministry accuses Russia of waging smear campaign against Ukraine
KYIV, Oct. 8: Russia is implementing a planned campaign aimed at forming an image of Ukraine as a state that does not abide by international rules and regimes in the field of military technical cooperation, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has said. In the statement posted on the ministry's official website today, it said that officials of the Russian Federation officials and the Russian mass media have of late been actively spreading criticism of Ukraine regarding alleged illegal arms supplies to Georgia.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry says that Russia has been left on its own in the issue of the international community's assessment of the reasons for and the course of the Russian-Georgian row and of the recognition as "states" of the separatist formations on Georgian territory. That is why Russia is trying to shift responsibility onto a third party, realising the inevitability of responsibility for its actions in Georgia. "This is a cynical policy without prospects," the statement says. More
Central bank introduces 6-month debt moratorium for Prominvestbank
KYIV, Oct. 8: The board of the National Bank of Ukraine has introduced a six-month moratorium on satisfying the demands of the creditors of Prominvestbank, a statement posted on the NBU official website on Wednesday reads. "In order to create favourable conditions for restoration of the financial condition of Prominvestbank, the board of the National Bank of Ukraine has introduced a moratorium on satisfying the demands by creditors for six months," the statement reads. It was earlier reported that the NBU has introduced an ad hoc administration in Prominvestbank. Deputy NBU Head Volodymyr Korotyuk was appointed its head. More
Ukraine to deliver main engine for European rocket by end of year
KYIV, Oct. 8: The Pivdenne design bureau and the Pivdenmash production company, both of which are located in Dnipropetrovsk, plan to ship the first main engine of the fourth stage of Europe's new Vega rocket. "Flame tests of the flying model have continued at Europe's request. It will be given to the customer - Italy's Avio SpA - at the end of the year," the bureau's general designer Volodymyr Shnyakin has revealed. "Testing of the entire engine block are scheduled to take place at the Astrium GmbH stand in Germany," he said. More
Foreign minister rebuffs Russia over alleged arms sales to Georgia
KYIV, Oct. 6: Ukrainian Foreign Minister Volodymyr Ohryzko has said that the Russian-Georgian conflict needs to be investigated but this should be done in the context of establishing who is to blame for the start of the hostilities. Ohryzko said this in an interview with the Interfax-Ukraine news agency while commenting on Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's statement that Ukraine should investigate the circumstances of arms supplies to Georgia: "The Russian-Georgian conflict does indeed need to be investigated but in the context of bringing to account those who are to blame for the fallout of the war on the territory of another state and for the violation of international law by recognizing as 'states' the separatist formations on the territory of sovereign Georgia (South Ossetia and Abkhazia)." More
President says coalition should be formed by October 7
KYIV, Oct. 6: Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko is giving Parliament time till Tuesday Oct. 7 to form a new coalition, following which he will start consultations on disbanding Parliament. Yushchenko said this to reporters in Khmelnytskiy Region on Oct. 4. More
Army to draft over 25,000 conscripts in autumn
KYIV, Oct. 6: Some 25,550 conscripts will be drafted into the Ukrainian army in October-November 2008. This is envisaged in the Cabinet's resolution of Oct. 1 posted on the government's official website. In line with the resolution, 20,000 servicemen will be drafted to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, 5,000 to the Interior Ministry's Internal Troops and 50 people to the state service. More
President grants tax holiday to gas monopoly
KYIV, Oct. 3: The state oil and gas company Naftohaz Ukrayiny will have its taxes payable in 2008 delayed until 2010. Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko signed a decree to this effect today, enacting the decision by the National Security and Defence Council dated Sept. 26 on the Cabinet of Ministers' implementation of measures to stabilize Naftohaz's financial situation. More
Arms trader denies supplying Georgia during conflict
KYIV, Oct. 3: The director-general of the state arms 
trader Ukrspetseksport, Serhiy Bondarchuk, categorically dismisses accusations of Ukraine's supplying arms to Georgia during the military conflict between Russia and Georgia. "I confirm that since the beginning of the military conflict (between South Ossetia and Georgia) not a single bullet was supplied from Ukraine," Bondarchuk said at a news conference in Kyiv today. He said that he was surprised when he read in the Internet about these accusations by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin during his meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko on Oct. 2 More
Premier praises outcome of gas talks with Russia
KYIV, Oct. 3: Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has said that she is absolutely satisfied with the outcome of the gas talks with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Oct. 2. She said that the memorandum on the two countries' cooperation in the gas sector signed during the talks would serve as a basis for a long-term agreement on gas supplies between state oil and gas company Naftohaz Ukrayiny and Russian gas monopoly Gazprom. Tymoshenko was speaking at a news conference today in Kyiv. More
Premier says effect of world financial crisis will be minimal
KYIV, Oct. 2: Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has said that the world financial crisis will have a minimal effect on the Ukrainian economy, because the domestic stock market is undeveloped and a low number of Ukrainian companies are traded on foreign stock exchanges. She was interviewed in the studio of the 5 Kanal TV channel on Oct.1. More
Parliament rescinds controversial laws adopted recently</
continued to broadcast four Russian TV news channels, despite the ban imposed by the 
