KIEV, Feb. 27 - Ukraine's exports of vodka and other alcoholic beverages fell by 24% to 8.15 million deciliters worth $192 million last year, an industry association reported.

KIEV, Feb. 27 ??“ Ukrsotsbank, Ukraine??™s No. 6 bank by assets, raised $400 million, more than expected, through an issue of three-year Eurobonds as investors had rushed to buy the paper, the bank reported.

KIEV, Feb. 27 ??“ Slovakia is ready to increase imports of electricity from Ukraine by four times, to 2 billion kWh per year, Deputy Fuel and Energy Minister Volodymyr Luchnikov said after the meeting of the premiers of Ukraine and Slovakia held in Kiev on Monday.

KIEV, Feb. 27 ??“ IKEA Group, a fast growing low-price Swedish furniture company, postponed for almost a year opening of a $300 mln shopping and entertainment complex in Kiev due to a dispute with local authorities.

KIEV, Feb. 27 ??“ Ukraine??™s Antimonopoly Committee allowed Skinest Finants of Estonia to buy more than 25% of stocks in Kriukivsky railway car building plant, the AMC press service reported on Friday.

KIEV, Feb. 24 ??“ The money received from the return to collecting 20% value-added tax on the import of crude oil in Ukraine starting March 1 must be channeled for the creation of a stable three-month reserve fund of petroleum products, Ihor Yeremeev, member of the parliamentary committee for the fuel and energy complex, said Thursday.

KIEV, Feb. 25 - Poltava ore mining and processing mill (Poltava region) is planning to invest over $100 million in 2005 into development of its current open-cast mine as well as new deposits, into upgrade of equipment and technologies at dressing and pelletizing plants and development of the enterprise's infrastructure, the company reported.

KIEV, Feb. 25 - Mykolaiv Alumina Works, the CIS??™ biggest alumina producer, is planning to increase its use of investments from $26 million in 2004 to $47 million in 2005, Yuriy Ovchynnikov, the enterprise's director general said in an interview with the Kiev Telegraph weekly newspaper.

DAVOS, Jan 27 – Ukraine's rich resource base, well-established infrastructure, and expertise in mining and mineral development position it as a strong candidate to integrate into the emerging global value chains in the critical raw materials (CRM) sector, said Oleksandr Kravchenko, managing partner at McKinsey Ukraine.

KYIV, Jan 27 – The furniture-producing subsidiary enterprise Lamella (Tiachiv, Zakarpattia region), 100% owned by Estonian Himbalt Trade, in connection with the urgent need for workers after the expansion of production capacity, intends to attract 160 people from Bangladesh, said head of Zakarpattia regional state administration Myroslav Biletsky.