KIEV, Dec. 17 - The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC, the United States) has restarted its programs in Ukraine, according to the corporation.

This became possible due to the signing on December 16 of an agreement settling a dispute around an investment claim, the insurance of which was paid by the corporation.

MOSCOW, Dec. 17 - Employers of a Ukrainian company tried to smuggle technical documents and a sample of a state-of-the-art Russian device capable of protecting aircraft from interception by man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS).

KIEV, Dec. 18 – The State Commission for Financial Service Markets Regulation has not supported a proposal of the Motor (Transport) Insurance Bureau of Ukraine (MTIBU) to revise basic payments and correlating coefficients for OSAGO vehicle insurance, the commission's chairman, Viktor Suslov, told Interfax-Ukraine.

KIEV, Dec. 18 - The European Union’s Council of Ministers on Friday approved Ukraine’s joining of the European Energy Community, a step that would establish single regulations and allow the country to boost energy exports.

KIEV, Dec. 18 -- Moody's Investors Service has assigned B3 long-term and Not-Prime short-term local and foreign currency deposit ratings and an E+ bank financial strength rating (BFSR) to Ukrgazprombank (UGPB).

KIEV, Dec. 18 -- The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is to lend EUR20 million to E-Energija, a Lithuanian group of energy companies, for expansion to Ukraine, as well as for the support of energy efficiency investments in Lithuania and Latvia.

KIEV, Dec. 19 - Ukrtransgaz, the operator of the Ukrainian gas transportation system, has said that demands by the Committee for State Material Reserves on the company concerning 1.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas, which was transferred earlier to underground storage facilities, are unjustifiable.

KIEV, Dec. 20 ??“ The Anti-Monopoly Committee recommended Astelit Ltd., the mobile communications operator using life:) trademark to stop a marketing campaign offering to exchange the SIM cards of other mobile communications operators for their cards.

KIEV, Dec. 20 - The Khartsyzsk Pipe Mill, a major Ukrainian steel pipe producer owned by Rinat Akhmetov, the wealthiest Ukrainian, expects to increase exports of large-diameter pipes to Russia despite import duties.

KIEV, Dec. 20 ??“ Foreign direct investment in Kiev is expected to increase 38.6% on year to $1.5 billion in 2006, Denis Bass, deputy Kiev City mayor and the head of the economy and investment department, said.