KIEV, May 25 – Ukrainian mining and steel companies in 2011 will increase rolled steel output by 12% compared to 2010, to 31.4 million tons, steel output by 9%, to 35.5 million tons, the government forecast.

SIMFEROPOL (Crimea), May 21 – The Cabinet of Ministers will sign an amicable agreement with Vanco Prykerchenska Ltd. (the British Virgin Islands), First Deputy Prime Minister Andriy Kliuyev told reporters.

KIEV, May 21 – The National Bank of Ukraine will prop up the stability of the hryvnia's exchange rates, the NBU reported in a statement on its official Web site.

KIEV, May 25 – Remittances to Ukraine by Ukrainians working abroad came to 4.6% of GDP in 2009, according to the National Bank of Ukraine.

"The ratio between private remittances to Ukraine's GDP in 2009 stood at 4.6%, rising by 1.2 percentage notches on the previous year, mainly thanks to the fall of GDP in dollars [by 35.7%] exceeding the fall of overall money transfers [by 13.1%]," reads the report.

KIEV, May 25 – Only 20% of the total number of banks at which temporary administrations have been introduced have managed to restore normal activities, according to the National Bank of Ukraine.

KIEV, May 22 – Ukrainian experts in May have worsened their forecast for the fall of Ukraine's real GDP in 2009 to 11.3%.

"In March we predicted a 9% fall in real GDP, in April we reviewed the forecast down to 10.2%, and in May changed it to 11.3%," says the monthly consensus forecast made by 16 finance and research organizations presented at a round table meeting organized by the Expert magazine.

KIEV, May 22 – The Economy Ministry suggestion to amend the bill "On Production Sharing Agreements" and limit the size of subsurface sites that can be leased under a Production Sharing Agreement to 1,000 square meters would discourage potential investment in the Black Sea continental shelf, President of the Vanco Prykerchenska Ltd (British Virgin Isles) Jim Bown stated.

KIEV, May 25 - South Korea's KIA Motors is interested in setting up the assembly of its Krauft cars at Zaporizhia Car Plant, Industry Minister Volodymyr Novitsky said during a phone-in talk at the cabinet.

He said that talks between the prospective Ukrainian and Korean partners were held recently.

KIEV, May 25 - Zaporizhia titanium magnesium mill state company, which is under the management of the Ukrainian Industry Ministry, has agreed with representatives of Chinese companies to sign framework contracts for the supply of 200 tons of titanium plates by the end of 2009 and the provision of container supplies of 500 tons of sponge titanium in May and June 2009.

KIEV, May 25 – The need for investment in the technical re-equipment of the Ukrainian shipbuilding sector over the next five-to-seven years is estimated at some UAH 20 billion, Industry Minister Volodymyr Novitsky said during a phone talk at the cabinet.