• First 3300 visitors passed biometric checks at Ukrainian border

    On January 1st 3,300 foreigners passed the through the biometric control system upon entering Ukraine; about 1,900 of them were citizens of the Russian Federation, as indicated by the spokesperson of the State Border Guard Service, Oleh Slobodyan, on 112 Ukraine.

    "During the first 24 hours of operation of the biometric control system, more than 3,300 foreigners who are subject to this system crossed the border, almost 1,900 of them were Russian citizens." The system worked without failures and …

  • Bulgaria will not break off MiG maintenance deal with Russia

    The anti-monopoly service of Bulgaria refused to annul the government’s deal with the Russian aircraft construction company MiG. The demand of the Ukrainian company Ukrinmash was thus rejected, Reuters reported on Tuesday January 2 with reference to a statement by the Bulgarian anti-monopoly regulator. The decision can be challenged within three days.

    In December 2017, the Bulgarian Defense Ministry commissioned MiG to service 15 old fighters. The four-year deal was estimated at a value of $50. …

  • Prime Minister of Ukraine: Ukraine leads post-Soviet countries in the Financial Times business rating

    The British edition of the Financial Times recognized Ukraine as the leader among all post-Soviet countries in improving the business climate, according to Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman’s Facebook post on the first day of the New Year.

    "Good news: the Financial Times recognized Ukraine as the first among all the post-Soviet countries in improving the business climate. The indicators of the pace of development of our state turned out to be the best," the head of government wrote.

    He also …

  • Italy calls for full implementation of the Minsk Agreements

    In 2018, Italy replaced Austria as Chair of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe or OSCE. As Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano said on January 1, during its period of leadership, Rome plans to center its efforts mainly on resolving a refugee crisis in the Mediterranean region.

    Alfano also said that the organization will continue to closely monitor the situation in eastern Ukraine. The conflict in the Donbas and around Ukraine “challenges the very fundamental …

  • Japan to simplify the visa regime for Ukraine

    Ukrainska Pravda reports that Japan will simplify the visa regime for citizens of Ukraine, effective January 1, 2018.

    The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Ukraine, Shigeki Sumi made the announcement during a welcoming speech on the occasion of the end of the year of Japan in Ukraine."Thanks to the implementation of the year of Japan, the JICA office (Japan International Cooperation Agency) in Ukraine has been opened, and from January 1, 2018, the visa regime for …