SAN FRANCISCO, May 13 - Gap Inc. plans to open stores in Serbia and Ukraine later this year, broadening the U.S. clothing chain's reach in Eastern Europe, The Associated Press reported Friday.

KIEV, May 13 - Parliament approved legislation that writes off 24 billion hryvnia, or $3 billion, in debts and penalties within the energy sector, while opposition leaders alleged the move benefits well-connected businessmen.

KIEV, May 15 – Ukraine’s joining of the World Trade Organization on Friday may shake up the country’s insurance companies as none of them will be able to sign re-insurance deals with Russia, a regulator said.

KIEV, May 15 - UkrGazVydobuvannia, Ukraine's major gas extraction company, boosted natural gas extraction by 0.8% in January to April 2008 year-on-year, to 5.017 billion cubic meters, the press service of Ukrgazvydobuvannia reported on Wednesday.

KIEV, May 15 - Sweden's Seco Tools AB, one of the world’s biggest metal-cutting tool producers, created a subsidiary in Ukraine, Seco Tools Ukraine, that will be based in Dnipropetrovsk.

KIEV, May 15 – Ukraine’s Industry Ministry will take time until May 28 to decide on a $5 billion proposal submitted by Austria's Voest-Alpine Corporation to build a steel mill in Odessa region, an official said.

KIEV, May 15 ??“ UkrGazVydobuvannya, Ukraine??™s largest natural gas producer, plans to invest about $118 million in modernization of its oil and gas refinery Shebelinka GPP over the next three years, the company said Tuesday.

KIEV, May 15 ??“ Ukrzaliznytsia, Ukraine's state-owned railway authority, attracted a loan worth UAH 500 million from Raiffeisen Bank Aval, Ukraine??™s No. 2 biggest bank, Interfax reported.

KIEV, May 15 ??“ UkrSibbank, Ukraine??™s No. 3 bank, is increasing the two-year syndicated loan by $100 million, to $250 million, Interfax-Ukraine reported Tuesday citing a financial industry source.

KIEV, May 15 ??“ PrivatBank, Ukraine??™s biggest bank by assets, agreed with Georgia's TaoBank on the purchase of a large stake in the Georgian bank, PrivatBank reported in a press release.