KIEV, Jan. 22 - Ukraine and China have agreed to strengthen trade contacts at the highest level, in particular, over the implementation of previously signed agreements on swap lines between the currencies of the two countries in the amount of CNY15 billion (about $2.44 billion), reads a report on the NBU’s Facebook page.

KIEV, Jan. 23 - Antonov State Enterprise, the designer of the An-70 military transport short takeoff and landing aircraft which recently entered service with the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said that the aircraft could be equipped with turbojet engines made in the West.

KIEV, Jan. 25 - The international electronic wallet PayPal has stopped servicing its clients in Crimea, an Interfax correspondent reported, citing a letter from the company.

KIEV, Jan. 23 – Ukrainian railways have restored the movement of trains towards Mariupol on the Kamysh-Zoria-Rozivka rail bridge crossing in Zaporizhia region where, on January 20, freight cars were derailed due to an explosion.

KIEV, Jan. 23 - OstChem Holding Limited in 2012 will supply eight billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas for the needs of the chemical industry and the nitrogen enterprises owed by Dmytro Firtash, the businessman's press service said on Monday.

KIEV, Jan. 24 – Germany's Schmidt is planning to invest over EUR 245 million in the development of the Novodmytriyivske lignite field, the Kharkiv Regional Administration reported.

KIEV, Jan. 24 - Ukraine's state defense order in 2012 will amount to UAH 1.47 billion, which is four times up on 2011, Ivan Marko, the head of the finance department at the Defense Ministry, told reporters.

CHERKASY, Jan. 24 – There is a hidden deficit of at least UAH 32 billion in Ukraine’s national budget, Cherkasy Mayor and Vice President of the Association of Cities Serhiy Odarych said during a press conference in Cherkasy.

KIEV, Jan. 24 – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has lowered its outlook for Ukraine's GDP growth by 1 percentage point, to 2.5%.

The bank also worsened the outlook for Eastern Europe and the Caucasus, with 2012 growth in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus now seen at 2.6%, compared with the previous 3.2%.

KIEV, Jan. 25 – A draft energy strategy for the period until 2030 being drawn up by the Energy and Coal Industry Ministry of foresees the construction of 11-17 gigawatt coal-consuming power plants.