Fitch downgrades Naftogaz

News / 24 September 2009 | 17:35

Fitch Ratings has cut its long-term foreign and local currency issuer default ratings on Ukraine’s Naftogaz to ‘C’ from ‘CC’ respectively.

The rating outlook is negative, a Fitch press release says. Fitch simultaneously downgraded from ‘CC’ to ‘C’ the senior unsecured rating on Naftogaz’ USD 500 million worth of eurobond issue due in September 2009. The recovery rating on the eurobonds is ‘RR4’.

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Yushchenko: United Nations should guarantee the environmental safety

News / 24 September 2009 | 16:38

Ukraine supports all the global and regional efforts aimed at overcoming the environmental problems, president Viktor Yushchenko said at the Summit on Climate Change.

“Nature doesn’t recognize state boundaries. However, it responds to the behavior of the people and nations in a sensitive and painful way. Our common home demands from us prudence but even more an essential care,” he said.

According to Yushchneko,Ukraine calls on the world to hear this demand and to get down to an extremely complicated but ultimately necessary, wise and comprehensive task of formulating the modern code of human existence on the Earth, a document composing the common norms and obligations which would be the World Environmental Constitution.

“We should not be afraid of hardships or time-consuming negotiations. Let’s think of the future. It is the main task,” he stressed.

The Environmental Constitution could become the foundation of the new global ecologic policy for 21th century, defining the commitments of the people and nations with respect to the nature and taking care of the rational management of resources, preventing the pollution and the environmental destruction, Yushchenko expressed an idea.

“We suggest discussing establishing a global environmental organization with universal membership. Ukraine abides by its commitments including those determined by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol.

We elaborated continuous chain of the yearly inventories of the green house emissions and strictly stick to the National Implementation Plan,” he added.

Yushchenko pointed out that the successful conclusion of the intergovernmental talks on the new post-Kyoto mechanisms is currently a common primary task.

“In the run-up to the UN Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change we should get ready in a constructive way and clearly define our positions. Its goal goes beyond any domestic considerations. We need a just, efficient and scientifically grounded mechanism of improving the world’s climate right away,” he said.

“We need new technologies to curb in the green house emissions. We should find substitutes for non-renewable resources. The key to tackle the climate change problem is precisely in this domain,” the president listed the tasks.

Yushchenko is confident that the international community led by the United Nations is capable of actively endorsing all qualified quests for necessary energy sources.

“It is a guiding line to support by practical actions all acceptable explorations of necessary energy sources, including alternative, namely solar and eolic power, as well as clean, safe and peaceful nuclear power,” he said.

Yushchenko confirmed that Ukraine is fully integrated into these processes.

“We are ready to share our experiences. At the same time we will continue to remind the humankind of Chornobyl. In 2011 we will mark the 25th anniversary of the largest man-made disaster in the history. Despite the time passed and the apparent tranquility, its impact and threat are still acute. We rigorously care for the improvement of the safety system at the Chornobyl power plant,” he said.

According to the president, Ukraine appreciates all the international assistance rendered and calls upon all partners to bring the task to conclusion and complete the construction of a new safe confinement “Shelter”.

“This is our common responsibility. We count on solidarity, as it is in the interests of each and all of us. The United Nations were established to counter the threats of war. Conflicts are not the only source of new threats to humanity. These threats are stemming from our attitude to nature which gave us life,” he said.

“The United Nations should guarantee the environmental safety of the Earth and humankind,” the president summed up.

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Tymoshenko: All-Ukrainian Centre of Radiosurgery will be launched by the end of year

News / 24 September 2009 | 15:50

The Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko announces that the Gov’t will finance stage by stage completion of all-Ukrainian Centre of Radiosurgery on the basis of Feofania clinical hospital. She informed in the course of her visit of the construction site of the Centre.

“Taking into account the fact that UAH 60 million out of the needed UAH 135 million is the sum planned for purchase of equipment, and it can wait a bit as there is enough equipment to launch this Centre, I think on the first stage UAH 70 million is enough for now,” Yulia Tymoshenko opined.

The Prime Minister reminded that the Gov’t would also allocate UAH 70 million for completion of a new department of the Kyiv oncologic centre. “We will do our best so that by the end of year both of the centres could start operation. And it means people will have chance to reveal oncologic diseases on early stages”. At this, Yulia Tymoshenko imparted the Government had set a task to finance creation of similar oncologic centres in every region of Ukraine.

The Premier underlined that access to services of the all-Ukrainian Centre of Radiosurgery will be gained by every citizen who needs treatment. “At this, people not having chance to pay for these technologies will be examined and cured 100% at the account of state funds if the disease is diagnosed on the early stage”. According to Yulia Tymoshenko, cancer on its early stage will be diagnosed with the help of an up-to-date tomograph in the all-Ukrainian Centre of Radiosurgery.

Moreover, Yulia Tymoshenko drew attention to the facts and informed that annually 160 thousand persons get cancer in Ukraine, with almost 40% of people of working age. “If the disease is diagnosed on early stage, 90% of people with cancer can be cured,” the Premier stressed.

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Ukraine’s president: Ukraine has become a donor of the UN World Food Program

News / 24 September 2009 | 15:00

During his speech at the 64th session of the UN General Assembly president Viktor Yushchenko paid attention to the world financial crises and pointed out that we face manifold challenges that we can resolve only by concerted efforts.

“I am convinced that one of the most acute problems for all of us is the global financial crisis. Ukraine welcomes decisions of multilateral fora, in particularly those of the Group of 20 as the leading instrument to counter the crisis,” he said.

President pointed out that perhaps, it is time to revisit the idea previously expressed by Ukraine and recently by a number of other countries.

“I mean creation of the UN Economic Security Council. The large scale of this proposal should not prompt us to shelve it or reject altogether.

Besides, decisions on the financing of UN activities within regular reviews of the scale of assessments, too, have to be taken with due account of the global crisis.

The principal and most important objective for our Universal Organization and for each of our countries is to protect common people from the crisis and to prevent the decline of their living standards.

Despite all the economic difficulties, Ukraine is aware of its responsibility to support other countries that have suffered even more,” he said.

This year Ukraine has become a donor of the UN World Food Program.

“We hope that our contribution will save millions of lives in Africa. Ukraine understands very well your needs, dear partners, and we shall strive to save people suffering from hunger,” he added.

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Yushchenko calls to fight piracy

News / 24 September 2009 | 14:18

In his speech at the session of the UN General Assembly president Viktor Yushchenko addressed the President of the session on the issue of the utmost importance for Ukraine, according to Yushchenko. It is the global fight against the maritime piracy.

“We value all efforts of the United Nations and the International Maritime Organization in this regard. Still, the measures so far have not been sufficient. Almost 70 000 Ukrainian citizens are employed on ships under foreign flags. Any developments on the high seas affect us directly,” he said.

Yushchenko stated the fact that in the last seven years only, pirates attacked 18 vessels with Ukrainian sailors on board. In the last nine months only, 35 Ukrainian sailors were taken hostages.

“It is not a local problem anymore. It has become very dangerous and threatening all of us. We shall not turn a blind eye on it,” he said.

Ukraine was among the co-sponsors of the IMO Resolution “Piracy and armed robbery against ships in waters off the coast of Somalia”, which laid the ground for further respective UN Security Council resolutions.

We strongly support elaboration of uniform and clear rules to fight pirates and to protect sailors.

Yushchenko called for more active stance of those UN members which are main countries of origin of employed marine workers and of those states and organizations capable of making an impact on the safety of international maritime navigation.

“On behalf of Ukraine I propose to examine carefully an idea of establishing in one of the African countries a regional center under the UN aegis which would bring agencies programs and funds under its umbrella as well as political offices to counter piracy.

I want to be clear – Ukraine will be actively engaged in all international endeavors, and we intend to join the EU Atalanta anti-piracy naval operation,” he stressed.

President of Ukraine urged the General Assembly to debate these very critical issues in a separate meeting.

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As a non-nuclear state Ukraine counts on Europe’s support

News / 24 September 2009 | 13:29

Speaking at the 64th session of the UN General Assembly president Viktor Yushchenko said that almost 15 years ago Ukraine voluntarily gave up the third largest nuclear potential and acceded to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as a non-nuclear state.

“We welcome the steps taken by the United States and the Russian Federation to elaborate a new agreement to replace the Treaty between the USSR and the USA on the Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms of 31 July 1991, which expires this year.

According to Yushchenko, Ukraine persistently counts on the support by the Security Council permanent members of its proposal to enhance security assurances for non-nuclear states, in particular for those which had voluntarily renounced nuclear weapons or their development.

“That will become an important incentive for many countries,” he said

The president also stressed that Ukraine would continue to act responsibly and constructively in matters of military and security cooperation.

“We strictly abide by the Security Council resolutions and adhere to all established international regimes,” he said.

“Our position in this sphere is consistent with all our international obligations. It is verified balanced and unchangeable,” Yushchenko summed up.

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Ukraine to become UN Security Council member

News / 24 September 2009 | 12:40

Speaking at the 64th session of the UN General Assembly president Viktor Yushchenko stressed that Ukraine acts in strict compliance with the goals and principles of the United Nations and expects the same from its partners and neighbors.

The president confirmed Ukraine’s resolve to become a UN Security Council member in 2016-2017.

“Our country has been and will always remain a reliable partner of the UN in all matters of peace and security and in collective actions fostering stability in every region, especially in Africa.

Speaking about peacemaking the president said that this year he approved the Strategy of Ukraine’s International Peacekeeping Activity which would consolidate Ukraine’s contribution and participation in this field.

“Safety of peacekeepers has been constantly in the focus of Ukraine’s attention. As one of the initiators of the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel we propose to the General Assembly to consider additional measures for strengthening the legal protection of the participants of peacekeeping operation,” he stressed.

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Yushchenko calls to live in peace

News / 24 September 2009 | 11:50

Speaking at the UN session in New York, president Viktor Yushchenko congratulated His Excellency Mr. Ali Abdussalam Treki, representative of Libya, on his election as President of the 64th session of the UN General Assembly, president’s press office reported.

After the congratulations Yushchenko started his speech with presenting national views “on the life of the planet and its peoples.”

“The emotional setting of Ukraine is open, principled and tolerant. We have gathered here not to offend each other or emphasize insults. We are here to resolve common problems.I call upon all of us to use tolerance against bigotry, malignance and arrogance. I am telling this on behalf of the nation whose last lustrum is unique in terms of challenges and progress. We in Ukraine live in the atmosphere of strengthening freedom,” he said.

The president stressed once again that Ukraine’s democratic choice is irreversible.

“As a free nation, we shall not accept any forms of interference into internal affairs of sovereign states, any pressure on them or manifestations of authoritarian thinking in international relations. We remember the price paid by our fathers for our freedom, for the freedom of Europe and the world, for the future independence of Ukraine,” he said.

According to Yushchenko the mission of all countries which remember the horrors of the fascism is to avert a single hint at restoration of totalitarian ideology and its derivative: the policy of imperial ambitions, neglecting the value of human life and violating the right of peoples to sovereign national existence.

“I am raising this issue, because we are witnessing very disconcerting reemerged signals from the past: ranging from questioning the very existence of newly independent states to denying the nations’ own views on their past and future,” he said.

Yushchenko also expressed concern about substitution of concepts and approaches: cooperation, openness and friendship among nations are being explicitly confronted by aggressive national egotism, ignoring the interests of close partners, and by dictating the right of the powerful.

“Unconcealed information wars, energy and economic blackmail, interference with sovereign affaires fall outside the civilized framework.

And, most importantly, we strongly condemn and we shall not accept any violations of the fundamental international principles, in particular territorial integrity and inviolability of frontiers of all sovereign states,” he said.

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