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Ukraine became fully-fledged WTO member today

KYIV, May 16: Ukraine became a fully-fledged member of the World Trade Organization today. A period of one month after the ratification of the agreement on joining the WTO by the Ukrainian Parliament expired precisely today.

It took Ukraine 14 years to become a member of the WTO. In the view of experts, access to new markets, Ukrainian manufacturers' right to defend their export against discrimination and adaptation of Ukrainian legislation to international standards are among the most positive results of Ukraine's joining the WTO. More

President hails UK's support for NATO bid, urges more investment

KYIV, May 16: Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has said that Ukraine values the UK's support for its Euro-Atlantic aspirations. Yushchenko said this during his speech at the Royal Institute of Foreign Affairs, Chatham House.

Commenting on Ukraine's plans to join NATO's Membership Action Plan at the NATO summit this December, Yushchenko said: "We value very much the British side's support for Ukraine's joining the NATO Membership Action Plan in December of this year."

Yushchenko also said that Ukraine's possible accession to MAP does not pose a threat to any country, including Russia. Yushchenko said that joining NATO "falls in line with Ukraine's national interests. We are not seeking to cross Russia's, or any other country's path," he stressed. "We are forming our own idea of security policy," he added. More

Foreign Ministry "surprised" by Russia's entry ban for Ukrainian MP

KYIV, May 16: The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has said it was surprised by Russia's decision to deny Ukrainian MP Vladyslav Kaskiv's entry to Russia and does not understand Russia's reasons for this.

"The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry was surprised by the detention of a Ukrainian citizen, MP Volodymyr Kaskiv, at Sheremetyevo-2 airport on May 15. It was even more confused by the reasons for the detention: to deny entry to Russia in order to ensure the country's security," the head of the Foreign Ministry's press service, Vasyl Kyrylych, said at a briefing today.

Kaskiv is a member of the propresidential Our Ukraine People’s Self-Defence bloc and has suggested that the Russian secret services were behind the ban. More

President still optimistic about future of parliamentary coalition

LONDON, May 15: Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko still believes in the future of the coalition. He said this after meeting British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in London today.

"There is still life in the coalition, it has its own political potential and future," he said. He admitted the coalition is at odds over some issues.

In particular, Our Ukraine does not approve of the administrative regulation of grain and gas prices, he said. "We do not understand the ban on imports of vegetable oil and grain," he said. He said such discrepancies in views can be removed through negotiations.

Yushchenko said that the Our Ukraine faction objects to chaotic privatization and has its own ideas on how to tame inflation. "Such discrepancies can be overridden and simplified within the framework of an open policy and dialogue," he said. More

Foreign minister says status of Sevastopol settled "long ago and for good"

KYIV, May 15: Recent remarks by Russian officials about   Sevastopol and the status of Ukrainian territories have no international legal consequences, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Volodymyr Ohryzko has said.

"Such remarks have no international legal consequences. Whoever speaks about who these territories belong to or do not belong to, these issues have been settled long ago and for good," the minister told journalists in Kyiv on May 14.

The foreign minister said that the remarks by Russian officials are "an attempt to politicize" the situation and "disturb Ukrainian-Russian relations".

"We are against such a policy," the minister said describing the remarks by Russia's representatives as "absolutely groundless". More

Ukraine joins British-French initiative for helicopter modernization

LONDON, May 15: Ukraine has joined the British-French initiative for modernizing of helicopters and for training crews for them to take part in peacekeeping missions, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko told journalists today.

Yushchenko was speaking after his meeting with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, after which a joint statement was signed. According to the joint statement, Ukraine is to begin its participation in the British-French initiative. The initiative is to increase the number of helicopters which could be used in Afghanistan and other international operations.

"This is a considerable and clear confirmation of Ukraine's ability to be an important agent in developing EU and NATO operational capabilities," the statement reads. More

 

Prime Minister threatens to terminate partnership with President

KYIV, May 14: Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has threatened to terminate her partnership with President Viktor Yushchenko if the Cabinet's activity is blocked. 

"I warned Yushchenko today for the first time after four months that if things continue this way, I will be no longer a partner and an ally," Tymoshenko said at a rally with the residents of the capital’s Podil district on May 13.

She added though that "the coalition will not be re-formatted".
Tymoshenko emphasized again that Parliament has still to approve a package of anti-inflationary laws submitted by the Cabinet two and a half months ago. More

 

Ukraine limits Gazprom subsidiary's licence to sell gas

KYIV, May 14: The Ukrainian national electricity regulatory  commission has limited from five to one year the validity of the licence to supply gas at a free price issued to the subsidiary of Russia's Gazprom, Gazprom Sbyt Ukraina, the commission's resolution No 547 of April 24 2008 states.

Gazprom and the state oil and gas company Naftohaz Ukrayiny signed an agreement on March 12, according to which, starting from April 1 2008 Gazprom Sbyt Ukraina would annually supply at least 7.5bn cu.m. of gas to Ukraine's industrial consumers. More

 

OUPSD bloc accuses Prime Minister of plotting with opposition

KYIV, May 14: The propresidential Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defence Bloc has said that the blocking of the parliamentary rostrum on May 13 by the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc resulted from a plot with the opposition Party of Regions aimed at amending the Constitution of Ukraine and that it was also caused by the Cabinet's inability to curb inflation.

The OUPSD expressed bewilderment that the YTB had prevented President Viktor Yushchenko from making his annual address to Parliament, which was his constitutional duty, the bloc's press service said.

"We think there are two reasons for doing this. First, the inability of the Cabinet's finance and economic bloc to tackle inflation; and second, a plot between the YTB and the Party of Regions aimed at amending the Constitution. Quite apart from the transfer of power to an unstable Parliament, this will threaten the very existence of Ukraine as an independent state," the statement said. More

Tymoshenko says energy company Vanco wants to resell Black Sea gas field

KYIV, May 13: The US energy company Vanco is holding talks with Russia's Gazprom about the resale of its section of the Black Sea shelf, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has said.

She told a briefing in Kyiv that "talks on the resale of the shelf are being held now, with Gazprom participating."

Tymoshenko said that the Ukrainian sector of the Black Sea contains up to 1.5 trillion cu.m. of gas, which is 30% of the country's energy resources.

"The estimated value of this resource is 450bn dollars," Tymoshenko said. "This is the biggest treasure for safeguarding Ukraine's energy balance and security."

Tymoshenko expressed surprise that the 12,960 sq.m. Kerch section of the Black Sea shelf "had been handed over to one company". "Ukraine is now deprived of the best, the most effective part of the Black Sea shelf," she said. More