KIEV, Aug. 11 - Naftogaz Ukrayiny has announced its intention to use a loan of up to $300 million from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for natural gas purchases.

KIEV, Aug. 8 – The State Property Fund plans to put a 73.29% stake in public joint-stock company Centrenergo, an electricity generating company, up for sale at an auction in December.

KIEV, Aug. 8 - Odessa maritime merchant port in January-July reduced cargo handling by 19.4% compared to the same period in 2012, to 11.987 million tons.

KIEV, Aug. 8 - Ukraine wants to develop trade and economic relations with Belarus, First Deputy Prime Minister Serhiy Arbuzov said.

"Belarus is an important trade and economic partner for us. Last year, trade between the two countries reached a record $7.5 billion We want to increase it and use it as fully as possible," the government's press service quoted him as saying during his working visit to Belarus.

KIEV, Aug. 9 – The Biotechnology Committee of the European Business Association has said that it is better to revise amendments to the law on the state biosecurity system drawn up by the Ecology and Natural Resources Ministry on treating genetically modified organisms (GMOs) with respect to international practice and EU experience.

KIEV, Aug. 9 - Teplodar PV LLC has finished building a solar power plant with the installed capacity of 4.21 MW in Teplodar (Odessa region).

The National Commission for Energy Regulation (NCER) at a meeting on Thursday decided to issue a license for electricity generation to the company.

KIEV, Aug. 9 – The net supply of foreign currency on the interbank currency market in January-July 2013 came to $1.8 billion, while year-over-year net demand of $3.4 billion was registered, the National Bank of Ukraine reported.

ALMATY, Aug. 9 - The Kazakh Health Ministry has received an official request from the Russian consumer rights watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, asking it to ban imports of products produced by Ukraine's Roshen confectionary company.

MOSCOW, Aug. 9 - TNK-BP's total investment in the development of shale gas fields in Ukraine by 2020 will come to $2 billion, which will allow the company to produce over 3 billion cubic meters of gas, making it one of the leading gas production companies in Ukraine, the company said in its corporate magazine, Your Company.

KIEV, Aug. 10 – Ukrtelecom is planning to hold the first stage of an auction to sell its mobile communications business in late August or early September.

"In late August or early September we'll hold the first stage of an open auction [to sell the mobile communications business]," said Ukrtelecom Chairman Heorhiy Dzekon.