KIEV, Aug. 20 – Economic decline in Ukraine has almost been halted, and gross domestic product increased by 5.5% since the beginning of the year, said First Deputy Prime Minister Andriy Kliuyev.

"In general the decline has stopped. GDP growth since the beginning of the year has been 5.5%. Industrial production grew by 11.4% over the period under review.

KIEV, Aug. 25 – The World Bank is ready to consider the allocation of $350 million as its next loan to Ukraine, World Bank Director for Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova Martin Raiser said in an interview with the Dzerkalo Tyzhnia (Mirror Weekly) newspaper.

KIEV, Aug. 25 – Arcelor Mittal Kryviy Rih’s refusal to prolong a contract on supply of ferroalloy signed with Zaporizhia Ferroalloy Plant has landed the steel mill in court, the company reported.

The report says that the decision to refuse prolonging the contract was made due to crisis and a fall in steel consumption in the world.

KIEV, Aug. 21 - The share of bad credits in the total amount of loans extended by Ukrainian banks in July 2009 grew by 0.7 percentage points, to 6.17% by August 1, the National Bank of Ukraine reported.

KIEV, Aug. 21 – The weakening of the hryvnia in August is linked to an increase in payments on foreign liabilities, the National Bank of Ukraine said in a posting on its official website.

"Considerable payments [in August] under import contracts and credit agreements were effected both by the private and state sectors of economy… The invigoration of the said payments creates an additional demand for foreign currency.

KIEV, Aug. 21 – Public distrust of power institutions carries a threat of destabilization to the national currency, said Viktor Suslov, the head of Ukraine’s state commission for financial service markets regulation.

KIEV, Aug. 25 - Ukraine had a preliminary balance of payments deficit of $8.232 billion in January-July 2009 compared to a surplus of $4.882 billion in the same period of 2008, the National Bank of Ukraine said.

KIEV, Aug. 22 – Lviv region's economic court has denied a bankruptcy action against Zhydachiv pulp and paper mill and the launch of the liquidation procedure at the company, Information Judicial Systems reports.

KIEV, Aug. 21 - Ukrainian national oil and gas company Naftogaz has denied several reports by the Ukrainian and Russian media that it is holding discussions with Gazprom on transferring the Ukrainian gas transportation system to the two companies' International Gas Transportation System Management and Development Consortium, Naftogaz said in a statement.

KIEV, Aug. 21 - The Kharkiv Appeals Administrative Court in Ukraine on Wednesday ruled in favor of the British oil and gas company Cadogan Petroleum Plc, allowing it to appeal against an earlier June 17ruling by the Poltava Region Commercial Court on the Zahorianske drilling license, according to a statement released by Cadogan on the London Stock Exchange.