KIEV, Nov. 26 – Sumy engineering workers are to increase production of equipment for oil, gas and chemical industries in Iran.

The press service of Sumy regional administration reported on Thursday that agreements on the expansion of cooperation were reached on November 25 at a meeting of the acting head of Sumy regional administration Viktor Cherniavsky with Iranian Ambassador to Ukraine, Akbar Ghasemi-Aliabadi.

KIEV, Nov. 29 – Consumer confidence and inflation expectations in Ukraine improved in October, according to a press release of the International Centre for Policy Studies (ICPS), citing the results of another consumer confidence survey as part of a joint project with GfK Ukraine.

KIEV, Nov. 26 – International donors agreed to provide 90 million euros in grants to promote energy efficiency in Ukraine and other eastern European countries under a new fund set up at the initiative of the Swedish government during its presidency of the European Union.

KIEV, Nov. 27 - Actual year-on-year wages in Ukraine fell in October 2009 by 10.9%, while in October 2008 it grew by 4.8% year-over-year, the State Statistics Committee has reported.

KIEV, Nov. 27 – Fuel and Energy Minister Yuriy Prodan hopes to “soon” settle disagreements with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) over the construction of the Adzhalyk-Usatove 330 kV power transmission.

KIEV, Nov. 27 - Naftogaz Ukrayiny, the national oil and gas company, plans to purchase 3.6 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas from Gazprom in November 2009 and 4 bcm in December, Naftogaz chief Oleh Dubyna said.

KIEV, Nov. 27 – Any attempt to reform the National Bank of Ukraine would intensify the national banking crisis, presidential candidate and former NBU head Sergiy Tigipko has said.

"The government wants to build a bank system for itself.

KIEV, Nov. 26 – Ukraine's state gas firm Naftogaz Ukrayiny will face a shortage of $4 billion for the purchase of Russian gas in 2010, President Vikor Yushchenko’s top energy envoy said.

KIEV, Nov. 26 – The National Bank of Ukraine, for the first time in seven months, on Thursday intervened to purchase about $17 million on the foreign exchange market, replenishing its forex reserves, dealers said.

KIEV, Nov. 27 - Fitch Ratings forecasts that world prices of metalware will slow their rise, while remaining volatile, and at the same time the mining industry will continue to see historically high prices and production amounts of raw iron ore for at least the coming year.