President Viktor Yanukovych rules out more Russian Black Sea fleet military bases set up in Ukraine http://un.ua/eng/article/265345.html i
Kharkiv, 21 April: The term of the Russian Black Sea Fleet's presence in the Crimea has been extended by 25 years, Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev said on Wednesday [21 April] following his talks with Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. Text of report by corporate-owned Russian news agency Interfaxii
The Ukrainian Defence Ministry has stressed that the lease agreement with Russia on the use of the Nytka training facility in Crimea is in force. Excerpt from report by private Ukrainian news agency UNIANiii
The United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) is planning to establish a single Russian-Ukrainian shipbuilding cluster, USC president Roman Trotsenko said on Tuesday [18 May] during the 7th Russian-Ukrainian business forum in Kiev with the participation of the Russian and Ukrainian presidents. Excerpt from report by corporate-owned Russian military news agency Interfax-AVN websiteiv
Ukraine has offered Russia to complete the Ukrayina missile cruiser at a Mykolayiv shipyard and include it in the Russian Navy, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency quoted Ukrainian Industrial Policy Minister Dmytro Kolesnikov as saying on 29 June. Kiev also offered Moscow to repair Black Sea Fleet ships at Ukrainian shipyards, Kolesnikov said. Russia is interested in building 15 warships at Ukrainian shipyards to upgrade the Black Sea Fleet in Crimea. Sources: ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow, in Russian 1721 gmt 29 Jun 10; Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, in Russian, 1548 gmt 30 June 10v
United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) is ready to launch the production of the new Russian-Ukrainian medium-class transport warplane Antonov An-70 in Russia, if the Russian Defense Ministry places an order, UAC President Alexei Fyodorov told Interfax-AVN. http://www.kyivpost.com/news/nation/detail/71791/#ixzz0sWbVqrb2vi
Shipbuilding: the Ukrainian assets targeted by Russia are Nikolaev’s TchSZ, Zarya-Mashproekt and More INSIGHT - UKRAINE - Assessment since Election - Part III: Moves towards Russia (Part I)vii
Energy
Ukraine is “potentially interested” in a joint project of state-run energy company NAK Naftogaz Ukrainy and OAO Gazprom that might include an exchange of assets, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said.viii
Ukrainian Prime Minister Nikolai Azarov has ruled out a merger of Neftegaz Ukrainy and Gazprom. http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=15245726&PageNum=0ix
Russia and Ukraine could reach an agreement on a format for their partnership in the gas sector before the end of the year, Ukrainian First Deputy Prime Minister Kliuyev Kluyev told journalists. http://www.kyivpost.com/news/business/bus_general/detail/71793/#ixzz0sWb8YWjPx
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday he did not exclude the possibility of natural gas transit from Central Asian states to Ukraine via Russia. http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20100518/159065773.htmlxi
Ukraine could do an asset swap with Russia to get access to gas production business in Russia, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych told Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, June 8. http://www.kyivpost.com/news/nation/detail/68995/xii
Russia and Ukraine agreed on Monday to draft an agreement on oil and gas transportation. Among the proposals, Russia offered to pay Ukraine between 47.09 and 53 U.S. dollars per ton as oil transit fees, Sechin was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency. Last week, Azarov said Ukraine was ready to provide about 15 to 20 billion cubic meters of gas in extra transit through its territory if the conflict between Russian gas giant Gazprom and Belarus causes a drop in Russian gas supplies to the European Union. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-06/28/c_13373932.htmxiii
Ukraine wants to be Russia's partner in extracting gas in Russia and invites Russian to become Ukraine's partner in extracting oil and gas on the Black Sea shelf, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has said. Text of report by Interfax-Ukraine news agencyxiv
Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov has said it would be more profitable for Russia to invest in the modernization of the Ukrainian gas transport system than to contruct the South Stream gas pipeline. Azarov was speaking in the "Test for Authorities" Q&A programme, broadcast live by the state-run UT1 TV channel on 21 May. Source: UT1, Kiev, in Ukrainian 1300 gmt 21 May 10xv
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Serhiy Tyhypko has advocated the parity participation of the European Union and Russia in the upgrade of Ukraine's gas transport system. Text of report by Interfax-Ukraine news agencyxvi
Yulia Tymoshenko, the leader of the Bloc of Yulia Tymoshenko, is calling upon local council to make stand against foundation of joint ventures with Russia in the energy sector, reads an announcement posted at her official website. http://un.ua/eng/article/267114.htmlxvii
[Presenter] Agreements on energy cooperation and the delimitation of the [Ukrainian-Russian sea border in the] Kerch Strait were not signed during the recent visit of [Russian President] Dmitriy Medvedev to Kiev thanks to the opposition, [former Prime Minister] Yuliya Tymoshenko has said. Text of report by private Ukrainian ICTV television on 25 Mayxviii
The volume of contracts, which plans to sign Turboatom (Kharkiv, East Ukraine) on the basis of today's Russian-Ukrainian meeting at the company, is about $ 100 million Director Turboatom Viktor Subbotin http://bsanna-news.ukrinform.ua/newsitem.php?id=13638&lang=enxix
Russia has asked Ukraine to consider the possibility of return of Kremenchuk oil refinery, currently owned by state-run Ukrtatnafta, Russian Deputy Energy Minister Sergei Kudryashov told reporters on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg Economic Forum. http://www.kyivpost.com/news/business/bus_general/detail/70251/xx
Ukrainian tycoon Ihor Kolomoyskyy has taken control of the Ukrtatnafta oil company, a Ukrainian-Russian joint venture.Source: Kommersant-Ukraina, Kiev, in Russian 2 Mar 10, p 1xxi
Nuclear
"Our task now is to develop our own [uranium] mines. I mean, to develop our own capacities. That is why we are in talks on the development of our own mines, and Russia's participation in it as an investor in a plant construction or as a side that would be interested in the use of our raw materials," Azarov said. UNIAN said at 1646 gmt. BBC Mon KVU 210510 dzxxii
Sergey Kirienko is striking plans for ARMZ to be invited to exploit the giant Novokonstantinovka deposit, which accounts for most of Ukraine’s estimated 100,000 tonne reserves INSIGHT - UKRAINE - Assessment since Election - Part III: Moves towards Russia (Part I)xxiii
The [Ukrainian] national nuclear energy company Enerhoatom and the open joint-stock company TVEL (Russia) have signed a long-term contract on nuclear fuel supplies after 2010.Text of report by private Ukrainian news agency UNIANxxiv
Russia does not intend to buy nuclear plants in Ukraine, the head of the Rosatom state corporation for nuclear energy, Sergey Kiriyenko, told radio station Ekho Moskvy. He did not rule out that Russia might consider buying nuclear facilities in other countries, if there are beneficial proposals. But in case with Ukraine, Russia is rather planning to "exchange assets", he said. Text of report by Gazprom-owned, editorially independent Russian news agency Ekho Moskvyxxv
Ukraine and Russia have reached agreement on cooperation on completing the construction of the third and fourth reactors at the Khmelnytskyi nuclear power station (Netishyn, Khmelnytskyi region).http://un.ua/eng/article/269653.htmlxxvi
Russia is studying possibility of Ukraine's entrance to stockholding capital one of Russian uranium enrichment plants, director general of the Rosatom state nuclear power corporation Sergey Kirienko said. http://un.ua/eng/article/269463.htmlxxvii
The Russian Tekhsnabeksport company [part of Atomenergoprom nuclear company] has won a tender organized by the Ukrainian Enerhoatom nuclear energy company to buy uranium hexafluoride, Enerhoatom's press service told the UNIAN news agency. Text of report by private Ukrainian news agency UNIANxxviii
Customs Union
Ukraine does not intend to join a customs union being established by Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, but supports the idea of free trade among former Soviet republics, the country's foreign minister said. http://en.rian.ru/world/20100514/159019111.htmlxxix
Aviation
The Ukrainian Antonov state aircraft-building concern and the Russian joint-stock company United Aircraft Corporation have basically agreed to create a joint venture on a parity basis, Antonov's director-general Dmytro Kiva has said. Excerpt from report by private Ukrainian news agency UNIANxxx
The leasing company Ilyushin Finance and the Ukrainian Antonov ASTC signed on Tuesday [20 July] a firm contract for the supply of ten An-158 planes. According to the head of Ilyushin Finance, Aleksandr Rubtsov, "these aircraft are intended for the Russian Atlant Soyuz air company". He also said that the agreement envisages an option of another ten planes for Russian carriers. Text of report in English by Russian state news agency ITAR-TASSxxxi
[Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya-based aircraft engine manufacturer] Motor-Sich has offered the Kazanskoye Motorstroitelnoye Proizvodstvennoye Obedineniye [Kazan Engine Production Association] (KMPO) to make available its free capacity for the manufacture of engines for the light, multirole Ansat helicopter, which is produced by the Kazanskiy Vertoletnyy Zavod (KVZ) [Kazan Helicopter Plant]. "We will not create a joint venture, but only transfer a license to KMPO and share the market. We will work in third countries of the world, and they will work within Russia," he explained. Text of report by the website of Russian business newspaper Vedomosti on 5 Marchxxxii
Telecommunications
The First National TV channel [state-run UT1] will start broadcasting on the territory of the Russian Federation from 1 September 2010, the general-director of the National Television Company of Ukraine, Yehor Benkendorf. He noted that the TV company has not received funds for implementing the project. Excerpt from report by Interfax-Ukraine news agencyxxxiii
Russia offers Ukraine to set up a joint venture for developing and introducing the Glonass satellite navigation system on national and third markets, a source at the Navigation Information Systems federal network operator told Itar-Tass. http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=15139051&PageNum=0xxxiv
Ukraine's National Council for Television and Radio Broadcasting allowed two Russian channels - RTR-Planeta and TV-Tsentr - to resume broadcasting in cable and satellite networks in the territory of the country. Text of report by Russian state news agency ITAR-TASSxxxv
Banking
Azarov said that Ukraine was interested in setting up a bank together with CIS member states, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency said at 1648 gmt on the same day. BBC Mon KVU 210510 dzxxxvi
Russia is prepared to lobby Ukraine's interests in international financial institutions and help it receive funds required to patch up its economy, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday. http://www.en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20100518/159062509.htmlxxxvii
Russia would welcome Ukraine's joining the work on formation of an international financial center in Moscow and suggests Kyiv could appoint a special envoy in charge of this issue, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said. http://www.kyivpost.com/news/business/bus_general/detail/67175/xxxviii
Sberbank, Russia's biggest lender, is looking into buying one of Ukraine's top 10 banks in a move to speed up its overseas expansion, a Sberbank director said on Tuesday. http://www.kyivpost.com/news/business/bus_general/detail/68977/xxxix
Metal
Ukrainian tycoon Rinat Akhmetov's plans to dominate the country's metal industry have been foiled after the owners one of the country's largest steelworks, Zaporizhstal, have owners decided to sell the asset for bigger money to an offshore company, a Ukrainian news and analysis website has reported. A well-informed source was quoted as saying that the buyer was Russia's state-owned Vnesheconombank. Source: Ukrayinska Pravda website, Kiev, in Ukrainian 30 May 10xl
A London court has frozen the sale of one of Ukraine's biggest steelworks, Zaporizhstal, to Russian investors. Considering that there is a preliminary agreement between the Ukrainian tycoon and Midland Group on the purchase of Zaporizhstal, lawyers believe that he stands a good chance of securing the cancellation of the sale of the steelworks to the Russians through the court. Excerpt from report by Ukrainian edition of Russian business daily newspaper Kommersant on 7 Junexli
The first shots of the battle for Ukraine’s metallurgical industry, which accounts for 40 percent of the country’s exports, were heard at the start of 2010, when unspecified Russian investors took control of steelmaker Industrial Union of Donbass, including two of Ukraine’s top-five mills. Now, just a few months later, the action is centered on two other top metallurgical facilities – Zaporizhstal (ranked 6th in production) and Ilyich. They are ripe for the picking due to their reliance on other sector players for iron ore. http://www.kyivpost.com/news/business/bus_general/detail/68587/ xlii
Russia's Economic Development Ministry is looking over the possibility of cutting a long-term pipe and steel deal with Ukraine in place of the current quota procedure, Deputy Economic Development Minister Andrei Klepach said during a metallurgy meeting in Chelyabinsk. http://www.kyivpost.com/news/business/bus_general/detail/75394/#ixzz0umbRlArkxliii
Transportation
Russia's Bryansk machine-building plant (Chairman Andrey Bokarev) has been recognized the winner of an open auction for the sale of a 76.001-per-cent stake in the Ukrainian locomotive manufacturer Luhanskteplovoz (state run), the Ukrainian news agency UNIAN said on 15 June. Sources: UNIAN news agency, Kiev, in Ukrainian 0822 gmt 15 Jun 10; Ukrayinska Pravda website, Kiev, in Ukrainian 15 Jun 10xliv
Russia's Bryansk machine-building plant, which won the tender to purchase a [controlling] stake in [Ukrainian locomotive-maker] Luhanskteplovoz, is refusing to transfer the money into the accounts of the State Property Fund, Oleksandr Ryabchenko, the head of the State Property Fund, has told a news conference.xlv
Credit
Ukraine has received two credits each worth two billion dollars from a Russian bank, the head of the presidential administration, Sergei Levochkin, told reporters on Wednesday. http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=15232200&PageNum=0xlvi
A $2 billion loan issued by Russia to Ukraine will be used for the construction of two nuclear reactors and a plant for nuclear fuel production, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych said on the Inter TV Channel on Sunday. http://www.kyivpost.com/news/business/bus_general/detail/69546/xlvii
Ukraine may sell ruble debt for the first time as Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s government builds ties with former Soviet states and promotes its currency as a regional alternative to the dollar. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-07-25/putin-luring-ukraine-with-first-ruble-debt-sale-after-dollar-bonds-pulled.htmlxlviii
Lists
Two months ago in Kiev, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin offered to merge OAO Gazprom and NAK Naftogaz Ukrainy, the countries’ gas monopolies, and to form a joint nuclear energy holding company. The governments are also working to set up a fifty-fifty joint venture of Russia’s United Aircraft Corp and Ukrainian state aviation company Antonov OKB, Kolesnikov said. Ukraine is also seeking a Russian partner for companies including VAT Turboatom, its biggest turbine maker, he said, adding that joint projects are also possible in shipbuilding. http://noir.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=a4y8gvMV4U04xlix
i President Yanukovych Rules Out More Russia Black Sea Fleet Military Bases In Ukraine
(10:45, Friday, May 14, 2010)
http://un.ua/eng/article/265345.html
In his words, the information about Russia's wish to build more military bases in Ukraine in Balaklava, Crimea and Odesa is not true and is spread by the opposition.
"There is and there will be no such issues in our agreement," the president said.
Yanukovych notes that Balaklava, for instance, is a town demilitarized since long ago and former bases were demolished there.
As Ukrainian News earlier reported, Ukraine and Russia on April 21 agreed upon prolongation of stationing of the Russian Black Sea fleet on the Sevastopol base by 25 years after 2017, until 2042.
iiRussian Black Sea Fleet to stay in Ukraine for 25 more years - Medvedev
Text of report by corporate-owned Russian news agency Interfax
Kharkiv, 21 April: The term of the Russian Black Sea Fleet's presence in the Crimea has been extended by 25 years, Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev said on Wednesday [21 April] following his talks with Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.
He added that the two sides had also agreed that the fleet's presence could be extended by another five years. [BBCM note: the previous agreement provided for the fleet's presence in the Crimea until 2017.]
[A later Interfax report quoted Medvedev saying that he would instruct Russian Defence Minister Anatoliy Serdyukov and Navy Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Vysotskiy to draft an agreement on the participation of the Russia Black Sea Fleet's base in the economic development of Sevastopol.]
iii
Ukraine says accord with Russia of use of training facilities in Crimea in force
Excerpt from report by private Ukrainian news agency UNIAN
Kiev, 28 May: The Ukrainian Defence Ministry has stressed that the lease agreement with Russia on the use of the Nytka training facility in Crimea is in force.
The ministry said this in the statement released by its press and information department following media reports that Ukraine terminated the lease agreement with Russia in 2008.
"The agreement between the Ukrainian Defence Ministry and the Russian Economics Ministry on the use of the Nytka training facility signed in July 1997, which clearly stipulates the parties' obligations, as well as organization, technical and financial aspects of the use of Nytka, is still in force," the ministry said in the statement.
Based on this agreement Russia has been using the Nytka training facility since 2001, the Defence Ministry added.
The ministry said in the statement that after the detailed analysis of the agreement's implementation Ukrainian and Russian experts concluded that there was a need to review its organizational, technical and financial aspects.
The ministry stressed that the two countries' experts would discuss this issues in June 2010. It added currently Ukraine was carrying out technical maintenance of the Nytka training facilities for its further use.
[Passage omitted: background]
Source: UNIAN news agency, Kiev, in Ukrainian 0751 gmt 28 May 10
BBC Mon KVU 280510 nm/ab
iv
Russian shipbuilding company aims to create joint enterprises with Ukraine
Excerpt from report by corporate-owned Russian military news agency Interfax-AVN website
Kiev, 18 May: The United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) is planning to establish a single Russian-Ukrainian shipbuilding cluster, USC president Roman Trotsenko said on Tuesday [18 May] during the 7th Russian-Ukrainian business forum in Kiev with the participation of the Russian and Ukrainian presidents.
"Within our company we acquire components, spare parts and materials for shipbuilding in Ukraine worth 200m dollars a year and think that this sum could be greater in the future by aiming for the creation of a single Russian-Ukrainian cluster for manufacturing components and materials for shipbuilding," he said.
"International practice has shown that just carrying out shipbuilding as a final assembly has no prospects. And all countries which been successful in their national shipbuilding have resolved the task of developing the whole chain - from the production of components and complex systems to the production of the ship," Trotsenko explained.
According to him, the corporation's plans in Ukraine involve creating joint enterprises with local partners, as well as with "potentially interesting enterprises" to manufacture components, ship gas turbine systems and a "whole array of equipment which is unique and which has kept a high scientific and technical potential".
"We hope and expect that we will make progress in this area in 2010, and will be able to move from acquiring components to their joint development and production," Trotsenko summarized. [Passage omitted]
[According to a later Interfax-AVN report, the director-general of the Russian network operator Navigation Information Systems, Aleksandr Gurko, also said at the business forum in Kiev that Russia and Ukraine have strong potential in terms of developing space navigation technologies. "There is great potential in Ukraine which will make it possible to combine the resources of the two countries to develop navigation technologies, establish competitive products, solutions and services on the basis of Glonass, and to promote them on the international market," Gurko said.]
Sources: Interfax-AVN military news agency website, Moscow, in Russian 1124 and 1230 gmt 18 May 10
Ukraine has offered Russia to complete the Ukrayina missile cruiser at a Mykolayiv shipyard and include it in the Russian Navy, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency quoted Ukrainian Industrial Policy Minister Dmytro Kolesnikov as saying on 29 June.
It costs 70m-75m dollars to complete the cruiser, which is 95-per-cent ready, Kolesnikov said. Russia is considering the offer, he added.
Kiev also offered Moscow to repair Black Sea Fleet ships at Ukrainian shipyards, Kolesnikov said.
Russia is interested in building 15 warships at Ukrainian shipyards to upgrade the Black Sea Fleet in Crimea, the Russian delegation said at a meeting of the security committee of the Ukrainian-Russian intergovernmental commission in Crimea, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported on 30 June, quoting a source close to the talks.
Last week, Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Adm Vladimir Vysotskiy said that the Black Sea Fleet should receive 15 new frigates and submarines by 2020, the agency said.
Sources: ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow, in Russian 1721 gmt 29 Jun 10; Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, in Russian, 1548 gmt 30 June 10
