• EU expects Ukraine to implement two more reforms before visa-free regime can be established

    The European Union expects full implementation of two out of five commitments in the so-called “visa-free” package from Kiev. 

    A European diplomat said this to the correspondent of UKRINFORM in Brussels, commenting on the package of "visa-free" legislation approved by the Verkhovna Rada last week.

    "Yes, indeed, there are still two important questions left: the National Anti-Corruption Agency and the law on electronic declarations," the diplomat said.

    At the same time, he believes that the …

  • Azerbaijan issues note of protest over Russia's arms deal with Armenia

    Azerbaijan demands that the Kremlin provide assurance that weapons supplied to Armenia won't be located in Nagorno-Karabakh.

    The Azerbaijani authorities handed over a note of protest to Russia in connection with the arms deal signed between Moscow and Yerevan, according to a report by BBC Ukraine, with reference to the official representative of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hikmet Hajiyev.

    "Weapons acquired by Yerevan are usually situated in the separatist region of Azerbaijan, …

  • US State Department tells companies that there are many risks in doing business with Russia

    The US State Department confirmed that it is working with representatives of the business community in order to convince companies to not do business with Russia in the usual way, RIA Novosti reported. “We continue to clearly state in communications with US companies that we believe that a return to the usual means of conducting business with Russia causes both economic and reputation risks,” the agency quoted the unnamed representative of the US State Department as saying.

    According to the …

  • Russian S7 Airline finds way to circumvent ban on flights over Ukraine

    The largest private Russian airline company, S7 Airlines, wants to provide service through another airline in Bulgaria’s capital for flights from Moscow to Europe through Ukraine, RIA Novosti reported.

    “Yes, we have sent the documents for the registration and purchase of the local airline company. Ukraine’s airspace is closed to us and it is impossible to fly to Bulgaria while bypassing Ukraine,” S7 co-owner, Natalya Fileva, stated in her interview with journalists.

    She noted that a few …

  • UNESCO: Crimean Chersonesus Site does not belong to Russia

    UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) doesn’t recognize the Chersonesos Taurica museum and reserve as being under Russian control. “Today, UNESCO doesn’t recognize this. A vote was held in the United Nations that Crimea is not yet recognized as a part of Russia in the international legal understanding of this issue,” the Permanent Delegate of the Russian Federation to UNESCO, Eleonora Mitrofanova said.

    According to Mitrofanova, Kiev holds that the …