SIMFEROPOL, June 1 – The Ukrainian Agriculture Ministry is initiating the creation of a Black Sea grain pool and Black Sea grain exchange jointly with Kazakhstan and Russia.

KIEV, June 1 – Zakhidenergo (Lviv) announced plans to raise UAH 165 million to finish the reconstruction of power unit seven of the Burshtyn thermal power plant and the reconstruction of electricity distribution equipment.

KIEV, June 1 – There are no grounds for a significant strengthening of the hryvnia, as the country's economy has not reached proper due level of competitiveness, according to Oleksandr Arseniuk, the deputy director of the monetary policy department at the National Bank of Ukraine.

KIEV, June 1 - Ukraine’s state nuclear power generator EnergoAtom and Russian nuclear fuel producer TVEL on Tuesday signed a “long-term” agreement for the supply of nuclear fuel, EnergoAtom reported.

KIEV, June 1 – Russia's RUSAL said it does not plan to cut production at Zaporizhia Aluminum Combine (ZAlK), the country's only aluminum smelter, in the future, according to RUSAL press service comments sent to Interfax-Ukraine on May 29.

"RUSAL's plans remain unchanged. We don't plan to cut production at the plant in the future," reads the information.

KIEV, June 1 – Ukrainian banks will be able to reach agreement on putting off $10 billion in foreign loan repayments due in 2009, while the overall sum of such repayments is valued at about $21 billion, according to Senior Banker at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Anna Tokarz.

MOSCOW, May 29 - Moody's Investors Service has downgraded the long-term local currency deposit ratings of Swedbank OJSC and Swedbank Invest (Swedbank OJSC's fully consolidated subsidiary) and the local currency debt rating of Swedbank Invest to B1 from Ba2.

KIEV, May 29 – The coal ministry is in talks on the increase of coal exports to Moldova, Bulgaria, Turkey and the Czech Republic, Coal Minister Viktor Poltavets said in an interview with the government's newspaper.

KIEV, June 1 – The Broadcasting, Radio Communications and Television Concern may take a loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for the development of digital TV in Ukraine if it fails to agree on raising funds from broadcasters for this purpose.

KIEV, June 1 – Representatives of gambling businesses are calling on the Ukrainian leadership to hold a dialogue on the sector as a part of a trilateral commission of representatives of the authorities, employers and employees.