Published in Inform issue #67
See the full issue here.

The government of Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has released a report that examines its first 100 days in office. The document, which keeps a promise the premier made to the people to report back on the progress of her government, reveals a startling amount of activity.

What follows are some of the achievements undertaken during the three-month period:

WTO: On 5 February, the WTO General Council agreed to Ukraine joining the 151-member organization. The decision came after Vice Prime Minister, Hryhoriy Nemyria negotiated a bi-lateral trade agreement with Peter Madelson, EU Trade Commissioner, in London, that removed the final obstacle to membership. Notwithstanding that the short-lived Tymoshenko-government of 2005 passed much of the difficult legislation for WTO, Mr Nemyria was quick not to claim all the credit. “This landmark decision is the culmination of 14 years of hard negotiation,” said the minister responsible for European integration.

EU Talks on Free Trade Agreement: On 18 February, talks began with EU officials to establish a free trade agreement (FTA). Under discussion is a deep and comprehensive FTA that goes beyond the standard trade and import tariffs to include the liberalisation of services and the harmonisation of the regulatory environment. The FTA will lower the cost of EU imports for Ukrainian businesses and consumers, and provide improved access to the EU market.

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Published in ForUm

Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko and chairman of the council of Ministers of Poland Donald Tusk have signed a range of agreements on mutual cooperation, the ForUm’s correspondent informs.

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Published in ForUm

Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko does not exclude that government will implement the “Ukrainian Breakthrough” Program before the Verkhovna Rada approves it.

She said that today at the enhanced sitting of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine devoted to 100 days of the government’s activity, Cabinet press service reported.

Yulia Tymoshenko reminded that the Government Program “Ukrainian Breakthrough” had been submitted to the Parliament but still not approved. To Yulia Tymoshenko’s mind, it means that “some authorities today still live in intrigues but not in wishes to give a result to the society”. According to Yulia Tymoshenko, in spite of the fact that the Government Action Program is not approved yet, we implement it. The Prime Minister does not exclude that this Program can be completely implemented before the Verkhovna Rada approves it.

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Published in Inform issue #66
See the full issue here.

Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko told a session of the recently formed Council of Investors that her government was determined to curb inflation and create transparent conditions for business.

The premier indicated that forces were at work intent on thwarting the reforms. “Every step, aimed at creating transparent procedures, meets with fierce resistance, but we will prevail,” said Ms Tymoshenko.

Ahead of a report this month that highlights the progress made by her government in its first 100 days in office, the premier said that controlling inflation was a top priority for the government.

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Published in ForUm

An enhanced agreement between Ukraine and the EU will be signed in 2009-2010, Vice Prime Minister Hryhoriy Nemyria told Biznes newspaper. Cabinet’s press service reports.

According to him, establishment of a free trade area with the EU on the basis of Ukraine’s WTO membership will be a key component of the new agreement. He believes harmonization of the regulatory frameworks will be the toughest challenge within this process.

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Published in ForUm

Today the fifth session of the Government Committee on European Integration and International Cooperation chaired by Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Hryhoriy Nemyrya was held. Cabinet’s press office reports.

The session saw consideration of a number of important normative-legal acts in the sphere of international relations.

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Published in Eurasia Daily Monitor
By Taras Kuzio

Parliament’s March 18 vote to call pre-term elections for Kyiv’s city mayor was a second major victory for Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko this month, following the new gas contract with Russia signed on March 6. The vote is symbolically important because Ukraine’s legislation requires that the president appoint the elected mayor to also be the city’s governor (head of the city’s State Administration). The Tymoshenko Bloc (BYuT) is by far the most popular force in Kyiv, and therefore its candidate will presumably win the snap election. Both victories will likely increase Tymoshenko’s already high popularity and give BYuT control over the capital city ahead of the 2009 presidential elections.

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Published in Kyiv Post

Ukraine’s Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko succeeded in preventing a stiff price increase for natural gas imports this year, and convinced Moscow to eliminate controversial intermediaries from the multi­billion dollar energy trade business between Ukraine, Russia and Central Asian producers.

In securing the crucial March 12 agreement with Russia’s gas monopoly Gazprom, political observers said Tymoshenko achieved a short­term victory in her rivalry with President Viktor Yushchenko.

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Published in ForUm

The Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe invited Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko to make a speech at the assembly’s session in April. Chairman of the monitoring committee of the PACE Serhiy Holovaty stated on Thursday at the press conference.

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Published in ForUm

Today Vice Prime Minister for European and International Integration Hryhoriy Nemyria is on working visit to Poland. Cabinet's press service reports.

On 19-20 March, Hryhoriy Nemyria participates in the II session of the Inter-Government Ukrainian-Polish Commission on Economic Cooperation.

During his visit the Prime Minister will hold a series of meetings, in particular, with Vice Prime Minister of Poland W. Pawlak, State Secretary of the Administration of the Committee for European Integration of Poland M. Dovgelevic and State Secretary of the Prime Minister's Office of Poland R. Grupinskyi.

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Deal Helps Resolve Dispute Over Debt Responsibility; Tension Over Prices Remains

Published in The Wall Street Journal
By Marc Champion and Gregory L. White

Ukraine's Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko took a big step to eliminating shadowy middleman companies from the country's natural-gas trade with Russia, but further conflict between the neighbors seems likely as gas prices for next year remain unresolved.

Ukraine and Russia's state gas monopoly OAO Gazprom yesterday reached an agreement on gas deliveries for the rest of 2008, putting an end to a long dispute that had been watched nervously in Western Europe.

The deal would resolve the debt dispute that led Gazprom last week briefly to cut off half of Ukraine's gas imports, causing concern downstream in the European Union that its supplies could be hit. The EU gets more than 40% of its gas imports from Russia, with 80% of that gas crossing Ukraine.

"For us it is very important the agreement is not only signed but implemented," said the EU's high representative for foreign policy, Javier Solana, in a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko in Brussels. "Security of energy supply is very important to us."

Gazprom said it agreed that its Ukrainian opposite, Naftogaz Ukrainy, will buy gas at the Russian border, instead of via two middleman joint ventures. It also agreed to take a smaller share than it currently has in Ukraine's domestic gas industry.

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Published in UNIAN

Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko stated that “today a common approved decision on removal of “UkrHazEnergo” from the gas market of Ukraine has been signed during negotiations in Moscow between NJSC “Naftohaz of Ukraine” and “Gazprom” public corporation, according to the government’s press-office.

Moreover, according to Yulia Tymoshenko, the sides agreed that for cooperation there is no need to create new intermediary structures – so called joint venture-1 and joint venture-2.

NJSC “Naftohaz of Ukraine” will get customs clearance itself and sell Central Middle Asia gas on the territory of Ukraine.

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Published in ForUm

The European commission considers it the conclusion of gas agreement between Russian and Ukrainian sides as a positive event.

“This is a good sign, but we would like to obtain official information about this agreement in bilateral energy dialog both with Russia and Ukraine,” representative of EU executive power, Ferran Tarradellas said.

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Published in ForUm

Yesterday Vice Prime Minister for European and International Integration Hryhoriy Nemyrya met with Milan mayor Letizia Moratti, Cabinet press service reported.

The sides discussed issues on deepening cooperation between Ukraine and Italy within the context of holding the Expo 2015 World Exhibition. In particular, the matter concerned Italy’s support of Eurointegration aspirations of Ukraine, investment and energy cooperation etc.

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Published in Interfax

Kyiv and Brussels have agreed to prolong for one more year the Ukraine-EU Action Plan, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said at a joint press conference with the leadership of the European Union in Brussels on Tuesday.

"We have agreed to prolong the effect of the program for one year, while a new political instrument will be created for relations between Ukraine and the European Union," Tymoshenko said.

Tymoshenko further said Kyiv and Brussels also agreed that Ukraine would commit to realize additional 23 provisions in bilateral relations.

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Published in NRCU

Prime Minister Yuliya Tymoshenko will preside the 12th meeting of the Council for Cooperation between Ukraine and the European Union in Brussels.

Today the Ukrainian Prime Minister is also scheduled to meet with EU High Commissioner for Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana.

Published in Interfax

Ukraine is a good economic partner for the European Union, Ukraine's Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said.

After Ukraine joined the World Trade Organization Kyiv started talks with Brussels on creating a free trade zone which is also stipulated in the new EU-Ukraine Enhanced Agreement which is currently being negotiated, she said at the EU-Ukraine conference in Brussels on Monday.

The creation of the free trade zone will include four clauses: free movement of goods, services, capital and labor resources.

"How long it will take us to make this way depends on Ukraine. For a long time Ukraine had professed an EU integration strategy which was not entirely clear. With the arrival of our team the EU integration has become the core of our domestic policy," Tymoshenko said.

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Published in Forbes

Ukraine's prime minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, said the country is taking 'serious steps' to get closer to membership of the European Union.

Speaking here, the prime minister said Ukraine is looking at developing a new enhanced agreement to create a political association where 'sooner or later Ukraine will become a member of the EU'.

When asked to give a timeline for membership, Tymoshenko said she would prefer not to give a specific date in case success is not achieved by then.

In order to fulfil that ambition, Tymoshenko said economic integration is essential, particularly building free trade and developing relations without economic barriers.

Based on current GDP levels and the expectation that inflation will decrease to half 2007 levels, Tymoshenko said Ukraine 'could be a serious economic partner'.

The government is working on 20 initiatives to improve transparency to ensure obstacles are removed for foreign investors.

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Published in Interfax

Ukrainian Premier Yulia Tymoshenko has left on a two-day working visit for Brussels where she will participate in the 12th meeting of the EU-Ukraine Cooperation Council.

Deputy Premier Hryhoriy Nemyria, Economy Minister Bohdan Danylyshyn, Fuel and Energy Minister Yuriy Prodan are accompanying the premier on the visit, an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent has said. The delegation also includes the head of the Verkhovna Rada's committee on European integration, Borys Tarasiuk, as well as the leadership of justice and foreign ministries.

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Published in Inform issue #65
See the full issue here.

Normal levels of gas supply were restored to Ukraine by the Russian state gas company, Gazprom, after its CEO, Alexi Miller, reached a settlement with Oleh Dubyna, CEO of Ukraine’s Naftohaz Ukrainy.

Prior to the agreement, Gazprom reduced the level of gas supplied to Ukraine by 25 percent last Monday and a further 25 percent on Wednesday. The resumption of supply was reached as fears grew that gas supplies to Europe would be impacted. Western European countries are reliant on a quarter of their gas imports from Gazprom with 80 percent flowing through Naftohaz’s pipelines.

“It was a game of brinkmanship and the Kremlin blinked first,” was how Christopher Weafer, an analyst with Moscow’s Uralsib investment bank, described the stand-off.

According to a government statement, “The parties reached agreement that gas deliveries from January 1 to March 1, 2008 will be fully registered and repaid by Naftohaz of Ukraine according to the pattern effective by the beginning of the year.”

Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said, “I am very glad that Ukraine held out in this very complicated confrontation and has not gone back a step in key issues of national security.”

The dispute centred upon a $600 million unpaid gas bill and the lack of a contract governing gas consumed in 2008.

This week Naftohaz will resume meetings with Gazprom officials to hammer out a deal.

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Published in Interfax

The Ukrainian government appreciates the support of the U.S. and EU in Ukraine's efforts to bolster its energy security, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko told reporters in Brussels on Thursday.

"Support from Europe and other countries has enabled us to start overcoming the gas instability inherited from previous governments," she said.

Tymoshenko thanked the United States for reacting to the recent cuts in gas supply by Gazprom.

The theme of energy independence was "first and foremost" during Tymoshenko's meeting U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Brussels, the Ukrainian prime minister said.

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Published by iBYuT

On 6 March Yulia Tymoshenko will participate in an International Conference "Women: stabilising an insecure world". The conference will bring together leading women political leaders of the world and civil society activists.

Within the framework of her working visit the Prime Minister will hold a number of bilateral meetings: with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of the Republic of Finland Tarja Halonen and Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia Nino Burjanadze.

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Published in ForUm

“RosUkrEnergo” and “UkrGasEnergo” have been stealing financial resources of “Naftogaz Ukraine” for many years. Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko stated that today at the press conference.

According to her, it is one more reason for removal of any mediators in gas chain between Gazprom and Naftogaz Ukraine.

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Published in UNIAN

Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko claims that European countries support Ukraine in the gas row with Russia.

According to an UNIAN correspondent, Yulia Tymoshenko said this to a government session today.

“As early as this morning, some world countries began to speak against the gas blackmail, which is practiced against Ukraine. We are not alone in the world, everybody understands that Ukraine is being bent to absolutely unprofitable agreements in the gas sphere. But, I believe, this time Ukraine will stand and will produce a result for many years ahead”, Yulia Tymoshenko said.

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Published in UNIAN

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, at its today’s session, has intent to adopt a decree on introducing a form of payments for natural gas, supplied from Russia, without any agreements and documents on supplies.

According to an UNIAN correspondent, Yulia Tymoshenko claimed this to journalists at the government’s session today.

“We will consider a draft decree, connected with providing payments for natural gas under condition, when there are no agreements, verification documents, or any other documents that may be passed by Naftohaz Ukrayiny to the accounting department”, she claimed.

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Published in Reuters
By Natalya Zinets

There will be no cut-off of Russian gas to Ukrainian consumers despite threats to reduce volumes over payment arrears and contractual issues, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said on Saturday.

Tymoshenko made her remarks two days before a reduction in supplies Russian giant Gazprom says it will implement unless outstanding issues are settled. That deadline falls the morning after Russia's presidential election.

Gazprom has often threatened to cut gas supplies during disputes over price with Ukraine and Belarus, but has never made good on the threats except in the New Year of 2006. That brief disruption cut supplies to Gazprom's west European customers.



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Published in Financial Times
By Roman Olearchyk and Catherine Belton

Gazprom, the Russian gas monopoly, is expected on Monday to reduce natural gas shipments to Ukraine, marking the second major energy stand-off between both countries since 2006 when supplies to Europe were dented during a price dispute.

This time, Gazprom has threatened to reduce supplies by some 25 per cent, arguing that the Ukrainian side has dragged its feet in settling some $1bn in gas bills from this and last year. Gazprom also claims Ukraine has failed to sign contracts for the supply of gas for this year.

”It is still possible that an agreement will be reached by the deadline on 10am Moscow time, but if not, gas shipments will be reduced to Ukraine by 25 per cent on March 3,” Sergei Kupriyanov, Gazprom’s spokesperson, said on Sunday.

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Published in AFP

Ukraine's prime minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, gave assurances Saturday that Russia would not go ahead with a threatened cut in gas supplies next week.

"I am convinced that there will be no cut-off," Tymoshenko said at a press conference, without giving details.

She said that Russian gas giant Gazprom had not yet made a formal warning and that "no official document on this exists."

Gazprom warned Friday it would cut its supplies to Ukraine by 25 percent from 0700 GMT Monday after talks on outstanding debts failed.

A spokesman for Ukrainian gas company Naftogaz, Valentin Zemlyansky, told AFP that fresh talks were underway in Moscow on Saturday.

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Published in BBC

In a HARDtalk interview first broadcast on 28 February 2008, Stephen Sackur talks to Hryhoriy Nemyria, the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine responsible for European integration.

Ukraine is one of Europe's largest countries and it presents NATO and EU leaders with a diplomatic dilemma.

The government in Kiev wants to join the NATO alliance and eventually the European Union.

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