AMSU vice president supports president’s decision regarding medication

News / 4 December 2008 | 17:40

Vice president of the Academy of Medical Science of Ukraine (AMSU) Leonid Rosenfeld supports the decision of president Yushchenko to cancel the decision of the Cabinet to introduce price markups for medications.

According to him, he does not take either the president’s side or the Cabinet’s one.

“As a doctor, I am on the side of patients,” he pointed out. He underlined that the Cabinet’s decision was poorly thought-out, as it was issued on the threshold of flu epidemic, when people will go drug stores to buy some medications,” he said in an interview to IMC.

“We can manage without expensive products or clothes, we can use less gas, but cannot manage only a half of a pill or remedy. Thanks God the president take this under control,” Rosenfeld said.

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Tymoshenko: Dnistrovsk Storage Plant – is object number one in Europe

News / 4 December 2008 | 16:50

Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko participated in solemn ceremonies devoted to the mounting of storage pump and trench watering of the first stage of Dnistrovsk Storage Plant.

Commenting upon the event, Yulia Tymoshenko stated that she is proud of the country, “This object has no equal neither in the CIS nor in Europe – due to its power, technologies, scale – it is number one in Europe”. The Head of Government stressed that Dnistrovsk Storage Plant enables Ukraine to get partially energy independence so much discussed during the last years.

According to the Prime Minister, the Dnistrovsk Storage Plant is a regnerative energy source due to which the country can save essential volumes of natural gas. Yulia Tymoshenko noted that Dnistrovsk Storage Plant is an ecological object number one in Ukraine, “This object allows to increase the efficienty of energy ssytem of Ukraine and this is the first step toward unification of the Ukrainian energy system with the European energy sytem which is provided in the Government’s Development Strategy Of Fuel-Energy Complex of Ukraine till 2030″.

The PM noted that such object as Dnistrovsk Storage Plant is evidence to the fact that our country can be all-sufficient and able to provide itself with all necessary resources at the hard time of global financial crisis.

The Head of Government stressed that Dnistrovsk Storage Plant’s dam – is an efficient waterproof construction designed for high water level that, in its turn, allows to protect the region from the flood. Yulia Tymoshenko said that storage plant is a unique various water storage which is similar in its scale to such water storage of Russia as Baikal.

The PM emphasized that this object is Ukraine’s pride because it was built exceptionally by Ukrainian builders, equipment of domestic engineering plants was used for the building and Ukrainian banks financed the building, in particular, Oschadbank.

According to Yulia Tymoshenko, by the example of the Dnistrovsk Storage Plant it is necessary to demonstrate how to complete works at many similar objects. The Head of Government noted that only in the fuel-energy complex there are 16 powerful objects implementation of which will allow to ensure new workplaces. In particular, it concern completion of nuclear power plants and transmission equipments. The Prime Minister promised that Government would strengthen work on completing such objects and provide their financing in full.

Government portal

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President to stop Government’s regulation limiting extra charges for medications

News / 4 December 2008 | 16:00

Speaking to journalists after his meeting with Ukrainian pharmacists President Victor Yushchenko said that he is to stop Government’s regulation �955,  limiting extra charges for medications, president’s press office reported.

Explaining that decision President Yushchenko stressed opinion that administrative regulation of any branch of economy is unacceptable. He also added that the decision made by the Government resulted in more than one thousand pharmacies closing and around two and a half thousand people loosing their jobs. “This means that the instruments and approaches used were wrong,” said Victor Yushchenko.

At the same time President Yushchenko informed that at his today’s meeting with pharmacists the two sides agreed to sign a memorandum on tolerant market activity to prevent prices growth.

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Presidential Secretariat has never interfered in monetary policy

News / 4 December 2008 | 15:10

Answering questions of journalists, President Victor Yushchenko denied accusations of the Presidential Secretariat of interfering into monetary policy of the state.

“The Presidential Secretariat has never had any influence on formation of monetary policy,” he said, adding that some media’s statements about the Secretariat discussing with bankers forced conversion of monetary deposits into national currency were “absolute nonsense”.

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Putin voiced the amount of Ukrainian debt for gas

News / 4 December 2008 | 14:20

Debt of Ukraine for gas makes more than 2.5 billion dollars, the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin informed. “This is not little money for “Gazprom” and Russia, he said on air of state Russian TV channels, addressing the people.

“If our partners do not fulfill agreements, we will have to reduce supplies. What else can we do?” Putin said.

Russian energy giant Gazprom last month quoted Ukraine’s outstanding debt at $2.4 billion. Some of the funds have reportedly been repaid, but Gazprom has demanded full payment, and threatened supply cuts. Ukraine transits about 80% of Russia’s Europe-bound gas, according to Ria-Novosti.

The countries have also agreed on a gradual shift to market gas prices. Ukraine currently pays $179.5 per 1,000 cubic meters for gas imported from Russia or via Russian territory.

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Russia works against Yushchenko as against a leader of conceptual type – Karasyov

News / 4 December 2008 | 13:30

Today’s Kremlin’s government doesn’t apprehend Yushchenko, as he in spite of low rating is a leader of conceptual type

Vadym Karasyov, director of the Institute of global strategies stated during the “Shuster Live” TV program.

According to him, Yushchenko knows what to do with the State and he orients the State towards institutes of Europe and West.

“This contradicts Russian policy which now forms its new spheres of influence in which Ukraine must be present,” the politician considers.

He noted that Russia tends to multipolar worlds, but with one polarity in the post Soviet space.

“That’s why Russia works against Yushchenko as against the leader,” Karasyov summarized.

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Government negotiating with World Bank

News / 4 December 2008 | 12:40

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine is holding negotiations with the World Bank concerning partial payment of the services of Blackstone Group International and Credit Suisse as financial advisers of the Government in the issues of restructuring and recapitalization of the banking sector. The First Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Olexandr Turchynov claimed in his comments to journalists. “Negotiations with the World Bank are being held to minimize the burden on the budget,” the First Vice Premier emphasized.

Olexandr Turchynov expressed his belief under the world financial crisis, which involved Ukraine either, drawing of these companies as advisers proves necessary. According to him, these companies are to tackle the issues of servicing of the foreign debt and analysis of financial situation in Ukraine. “They will also assist in holding talks with creditors of the state enterprises that wish to return their loans ahead of schedule under the world financial crunch,” the First Vice Premier explained.

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Yushchenko to hold negotiations with President of Tajikistan

News / 4 December 2008 | 11:54

The President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko will hold negotiations with the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon in scope of the state visit to Ukraine, scheduled for December 3-5.

During the talks the two  Presidents are expected to discuss, in particular, implementation of agreements reached within an official visit of Ukraine’s President Viktor Yushchenko to the Republic of Tajikistan in March 2008.

The parties will also discuss progress of implementation of the Action Plan Ukraine-Tajikistan 2008-2009 singed during the visit, and exchange opinions on the burning issues of international and regional security.

It is planned to sign a range of bilateral agreements, in particular, on cooperation in culture and arts, tourism, youth policy, education, physical education and sports, as well as agroindustrial sector. The program of the visit also envisages a meeting of the Tajikistani leader with Ukraine’s Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. Tajikistan’s President also plans to visit Lviv (West Ukraine) and Kharkiv (East Ukraine) where Emomali Rahmon will attend Turboatom, being a promising supplier of hydrotechnical equipment for Tajikistan’s HPS.

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NATO information and documentation Center to be formed in Ukraine

News / 4 December 2008 | 11:10

The Parliamentary Committee for National security and defense supports the ratification of Additional protocol to the Memorandum on understanding between the government of Ukraine and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to establish the NATO information and documentation Center in Ukraine. The VRU press service reports.

The draft bill, introduced by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, proposes to perform privileges and immunities to the center and its employees, which are performed to diplomatic missions, accredited in Ukraine, and employees of diplomatic missions in accordance with the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations as of April 18, 1961.

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NBU exchange rates

News / 4 December 2008 | 10:50

The National Bank of Ukraine set official currency rates for December 4, 2008:

UAH 738.1900 per USD 100 (+UAH 14.3100);

UAH 931.8172 per EUR 100 (+UAH 12.7068);

UAH 2.6438 per RUB 10 (+UAH 0.0600).

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