KIEV, Aug. 20 - Polish fast food company AmRest, which operates 31 Rostik's-KFC and 18 Pizza Hut restaurants in Russia, has signed a memorandum of intent with Kuwait's Americana to set up a joint venture in Ukraine to expand the chains there, an AmRest official told Interfax.

The JV will be set up on a 50-50 basis. "If the parties decide to bring in a local partner, it might take a stake of up to 10%, in which case AmRest and Americana would each have 45% stakes," the official said.

KIEV, Aug. 19 – Kiev's economic court has received an action against Sandora Ltd and its subsidiary Mykolaiv juice factory to meet a claim filed by Odessa baby food cannery.

KIEV, Aug. 17 – The national energy company UkrEnergo plans to complete the building of the 330 kV Adzhalyk-Usatove power transmission line in Odessa region on Aug. 13, 2008, Deputy Director for investment programs and construction at the company, Volodymyr Buzinov, told Interfax-Ukraine.

KIEV, Aug. 17 – The Antimonopoly Committee has allowed a TuranAlem Bank subsidiary, Almaty-based BTA Insurance, to buy over 25% of Kiev-based Insurance Company Oranta, the AMC announced.

MOSCOW, Aug. 20 - Russia and Ukraine are set to sign an agreement to settle a dispute over steel reinforcement bar shipments.

KIEV, Aug. 17 - Donetsk businessman MP Rinat Akhmetov, President Viktor Yushchenko and former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko top the list of the 100 most influential Ukrainians compiled by the magazine Korrespondent.

KIEV, Aug. 17 - An expert group formed by the Ukrainian government will soon consider the direction of oil flows in the Odessa-Brody oil pipeline, Deputy Prime Minister Andriy Kliuyev said Thursday in Kiev.

WARSAW, Aug. 17 - The Ukrainian sugar maker Astarta Kiev opened nearly flat on its Thursday debut, at PLN 19.05 per share, up 0.26%.

WARSAW, Aug. 17 - Bank Pekao, Poland??™s second largest bank and a subsidiary of UniCredit of Italy, won praise from analysts for plans to expand in Ukraine.

KIEV, Aug. 18 ??“ Ukraine will increase tariffs it charges Russia for shipping natural gas for exports to Europe if Russia presses ahead with a gas price hike, a Naftogaz Ukrayiny official warned on Friday.