KIEV, May 25 – Specialists from the International Atomic Energy Agency have started working at Yuzhnoukrainsk nuclear power plant, during which they will check the correspondence of the second reactor's safety levels to international standards.

KIEV, May 25 – The deficit of Ukraine's consolidated balance of payments from January through April is estimated at $6.281 billion, whereas in the same period of 2008 Ukraine saw a $371 million suplus, the National Bank of Ukraine said.

KIEV, May 25 – There are signs of the end of the economic downturn in Ukraine, according to Oleksandr Paskhaver, the president of the Center For Economic Development.

"There is information on all economic sectors: The decline in industry and construction stopped in January. It becomes clear if we compare production in these sectors the period of January-April 2009 with the same period in 2008.

KIEV, May 27 - Actual year-on-year wages in Ukraine fell in April by 8.1%, while in April 2008 they grew 7.7%, the State Statistics Committee reported.

According to the committee, the average nominal wage in April 2009 was UAH 1,845, which is a 1.5% rise against March 2009 and 6.3% compared to April 2008.

KIEV, May 26 – Experts of the leading international investment companies have criticized the work of PFTS and the infrastructure of the local market.

Their position was introduced at a press conference on the sidelines of the fourth international investment conference organized by Dragon Capital in Kiev last week.

MOSCOW, May 27 – Ukraine, which joined the World Trade Organization earlier this month, has so far shown no signs of seeking to slow down Russia’s admittance to the trade body, a senior Russian official said.

Maxim Medvedkov, Russia's chief WTO negotiator, said Ukraine had already indicated that it is in its own interests to let Russia, its biggest trade partner, join the WTO as quickly as possible.

LONDON, May 27 – Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Jamaica are most at risk from rising inflation which threatens investor confidence in their local-currency assets, Reuters reported Tuesday citing a Fitch Ratings report.

ZAPORIZHIA, May 27 – Zaporizhia's authorities have asked the Finance Ministry to issue them a permit to raise credits to speed up the building of bridges over the Dnipro river, Zaporizhia Mayor Yevhen Kartashov said at a meeting with representatives of the World Bank.

KIEV, May 26 – Ukraine's Finance Ministry has selected Paribas (France), JP Morgan (the United States) and Standard Bank (the U.K.) as lead-managers for the placement of its eurobonds in 2008, the ministry said on its official Web site.

ZAPORIZHIA, May 27 – Zaporizhia is the only city in Ukraine where there might be a risk to the public from harmful emissions, the Operations Officer of the Environment Sector at the World Bank, Oleksiy Slenzak, said at a meeting with representatives of Zaporizhia city and region authorities.