DNIPROPETROVSK, Sept. 20 – The United States is ready to increase funding of the program for the disposal of solid rocket fuel from SS-24 intercontinental ballistic missiles at Pavlohrad Chemical Plant in Dnipropetrovsk region, the plant's director general, Leonid Shyman, said at a press conference in Dnipropetrovsk on Monday.

KIEV, Sept. 18 – An agreement on the World Bank's issuing a $400 million loan to revive Ukraine's banking sector was signed in Kiev on Friday.

Economics Minister Bohdan Danylyshyn and World Bank Country Director for Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova Martin Raiser signed the document.

KIEV, Sept. 18 – The fall of Ukraine's GDP in 2009 could be 15% with 14.5-15% inflation, the chairman of the Ukrainian accounting Chamber, Valentyn Symonenko, has said.

"We'll see a fall of at least 15% in GDP by the end of the year," he said.

Ukraine's Economy Ministry expects that GDP will fall by 10-12% in 2009.

ALUSHTA (Crimea), Sept. 21 – The hryvnia exchange rate can't be maintained at the current level without the support of the International Monetary Fund, Ihor Mitiukov, the head of the Ukrainian office of Morgan Stanley and a former Ukrainian finance minister has said.

KIEV, Sept. 19 - Ukraine’s power exports to the European Union will probably increase by 4.5% to 4.83 billion kilowatt-hours in 2008, compared with 4.62 billion kWh exported in 2007, according to a forecast released by the government Friday.

KIEV, Sept. 19 - The Energy and Fuel Ministry wants to merge assets of UkrgazVydobuvannia (UGV) and ChornomorNaftoGaz, Ukraine’s state-owned No. 1 and No. 3 biggest producers of natural gas, the ministry reported Friday.

MOSCOW, Sept. 20 - Moody's Investors Service announced it has upgraded the global local currency long-term and short-term deposit ratings of Indexbank (Ukraine) to Baa1/P-2 as result of the successful acquisition of a 99.9% stake of the latter by Credit Agricole (CA).

BERLIN, Sept. 20 ??“ Dnipropetrovsk-based Nyzhniodniprovsky pipe-rolling plant has agreed on large-scale cooperation with the world's largest railway car manufacturer ??“ Bombardier of Canada ??“ in implementing large joint projects.

KIEV, Sept. 20 - The Interpipe Corporation's Nyzhniodniprovsky Pipe Plant announced plans to export $70 million in railway wheels to non-CIS countries in 2006, rising to $100 million in 2007.

KIEV, Sept. 21 ??“ Ukrzaliznytsia, the state Railway Administration of Ukraine, is ready to transport cargo under the unified CIM/SMGS consignment note, if all railway administrations that are involved in transporting (sender, receiver and transit states) give their agreement.