Zurabov: Russia insists on bilateral GTS consortium with Ukraine

News / 21 December 2012 | 16:45

Cooperation between Ukraine and Russia in energy systems can lead to gas discounts for Ukraine, Russian Ambassador to Ukraine Mikhail Zurabov said, answering journalists’ questions about what will reduce the Russian gas price for Ukraine, ForUm correspondent reports.

“When we talk about energy cooperation between Ukraine and Russia in the context of the prospects of the Ukrainian gas transportation system, we put the question of its load. Consequently, any scheme of cooperation, which will be offered in the future, it could be a lease of the Ukrainian GTS, consortium or joint venture, sets certain conditions, which would then be defined, formulated and implemented under certain agreement – the sufficient load parameters of the Ukrainian GTS to ensure that it is not degraded.

For the incomes, which GTS will receive from the transit of Russian gas to Europeans, are enough to keep it in good condition,” he said.

 

Answering the clarifying question about the most viable scheme of cooperation in the GTS, Zurabov said that, most likely, it is a bilateral consortium.

He added that if the development of this project continues, it can result in more serious redistribution of assets and then, most likely, Ukraine will receive gas price discounts.

“Of course, such a decline in gas prices does not assume the figures, comparable with those that Ukraine would receive in case of deepening CU integration, but this reduction is significant. I assure you that it can change the situation in the Ukrainian economy,” Zurabov said.

Zurabov did not specify the figure, but noted he knows it.

 

ForUm

Putin awards Azarov with order

News / 21 December 2012 | 16:30

Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov with the Order of Merit.

The corresponding decree was published on the official web portal of legal information.

The paper notes that the Ukrainian Prime Minister was awarded “for outstanding contribution to the strengthening and development of Russian-Ukrainian relations”.

 

ForUm

Zurabov: Three-day visit of Yanukovych to Russia being prepared

News / 21 December 2012 | 16:10

The visit of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych to Russia will not be held this year and the decision to cancel the trip to Moscow on December 18 was taken mutually, Russian Ambassador to Ukraine Mikhail Zurabov said, ForUm correspondent reports.

“I do not know the official position regarding the cancellation of the visit of the President of Ukraine to Russia, but I know that this decision was taken jointly by the two Presidents. In addition, I know that Yanukovych and Putin had a brief telephone conversation on the day after the failed visit and the two Presidents reaffirmed their commitment. The experts were instructed to continue developing agreements on cooperation in the energy sector, which were not sufficiently coordinated at the time when the decision to postpone the visit was taken,” he said.

Zurabov also commented on the information of one of Ukrainian publications that Putin was allegedly ready to meet with Yanukovych only when the Ukrainian president is ready to sign what the President of Russia needs. “Indeed the meeting between Vladimir Putin and Viktor Yanukovych would had had sense only if there had been an opportunity to sign a particular document,” he said.

The Ambassador noted that the dialogue continues, and now the visit of Yanukovych to Russia is being prepared. According to him, this visit is likely to last three days. On the third day of the visit, President will visit Nizhny Novgorod to attend the interregional forum dedicated to the transport problem.

ForUm

Hungarian, Romanian, Ruthenian languages granted special status in Zakarpattia

News / 21 December 2012 | 15:53

Zakarpattia Regional Council recognized the special status of the Hungarian, Romanian and Ruthenian languages.

78 deputies supported the decision, five abstained and 14 did not vote at the meeting of the Regional Council on December 21.

The decision provides for implementation the law on the principles of language policy, but the decision misses a clear statement that the above languages shall become regional ones.

The decision reads that Hungarian, Ruthenian and Romanian are as regional languages along with Ukrainian as the official language in the territory of administrative-territorial units of the region (villages, towns and cities).

Thus, the local governments of Zakarpattia region are recommended to “take measures to implement the law of Ukraine on principles of national language policy witin the region”.

ForUm

Traffic is complicated in nine regions of Ukraine

News / 21 December 2012 | 15:35

There is the traffic on general use roads of Ukraine, including the mountain passes, but with restrictions in some regions due to severe weather conditions, the press service of the Infrastructure Ministry reports.

In particular, as of 6 am on December 21, such weather conditions were observed in the western regions of Ukraine and in Donetsk region, where the temperature was from 5 to 18 degrees below zero with wind gusts to 18 meters per second.

Thus, the traffic has been resumed on the road T-13-02 in the eastern Donetsk regions since 6 am on December 21, but sometimes it is difficult to travel on the road C-051733.

The traffic is still restricted in some settlements of Vinnytsa region, and the most difficult situation is in Tyvrovsky, Khmelnytsky and Nemirovsky areas.

It is also hard to get to the number of settlements in Volyn, Rivne, Ternopil, Khmelnitsky, Zhytomyr and Odesa regions.

During the last days, 1590 units of equipment, including 123 units from other companies and organizations (Emergencies Ministry, Defense Ministry and contractors) worked on the public roadways.

ForUm

Cabinet to support foreign investors

News / 21 December 2012 | 15:25

The Government has approved an action plan to promote the activities of foreign investors.

The corresponding decree was adopted on December 19, 2012, at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers, the Economic Development and Trade Ministry press service informs.

This document provides for the resolution of the problematic issues of the European investors activities in Ukraine.

Implementation of activities in the area of investment in Ukraine will contribute to the prevention and difficulties of doing business, as well as addressing the strategic socio-economic problems of the state, improvment quality of life, additional investment and support the economic development of Ukraine.

 

ForUm

Expert: Real estate market may freeze

News / 21 December 2012 | 15:05

The reform of the state registration of real estate requires a deep revision, head of the Union of Realtors of Ukraine Oleksandr Rubanov told a press conference, ForUm correspondent reports. According to the expert, starting from January 1, 2013, market may freeze for at least two months due to under-developed mechanisms for the implementation of the law.

According to him, “it is the law on amendments to some legislative acts of Ukraine concerning improvement and simplification of the procedure of state registration of land and property rights to real estate. It shall enter into force on January 1 and provides for a new registry. President Viktor Yanukovych has criticized the law on several points, and we consider it makes sense to delay its entry into force”.

ForUm

Cabinet of Ministers held ordinary working meeting in the morning

News / 21 December 2012 | 14:45

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine held an ordinary working meeting in the morning on Friday, the Ukrainian Prime Minister’s press secretary Vitaliy Lukyanenko told, Interfax-Ukraine news agency reports.

“Today, an ordinary working meeting was held, many issues had to be discussed before the New Year,” he said.

Lukyanenko did not specify when the new government of Ukraine would be formed.

ForUm