KIEV, June 16 – Ukraine’s gross domestic product will grow 0.2% to 1.9% annually on average in 2009 through 2012, the economy ministry predicted

The forecast is foreseen in Ukraine's draft development strategy until 2020, the wording of which has been posted on the ministry's official Web site.

KIEV, June 16 - Swedbank has decided to merge its two subsidiaries in Ukraine - Swedbank and Swedbank Invest, the parent bank said in a statement.

The statement said that, at an extraordinary meeting on June 15, shareholders in Swedbank decided to merge with Swedbank Invest.

The merger is set to reach conclusion by the end of 2009.

ZAPORIZHIA, June 17 – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is ready to provide financing for the construction of the main thermal transmission line to supply the excess heat from Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant to the residential areas of Zaporizhia, the city administration reported.

KIEV, June 17 - The Ukrainian Grain Association, which unites the country's grain companies, believes Ukraine could export about 13.5 million tons of grain in the 2008-2009 marketing year, Volodymyr Klimenko, president of the association, told Interfax.

KIEV, June 17 – Stirol Concern announced it has become the first chemical company of its type in Europe and Ukraine to successfully conduct the preliminary registration of its products under the European Union's REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemical substances) scheme.

KIEV, June 14 - Vinnifruit (Vinnytsia region), Ukraine's large juice and soft drink producer, is considering the possibility of selling another 14-15% of its stock, the organizer of the first private placement, Kiev-based Alfa Capital Ukraine investment company, has reported.

KIEV, June 14 - Zaporizhia automobile plant (ZAZ), Ukraine's largest car producer, in January through May increased car output by 44.4% year-on-year, to 97,040 cars, the plant reported.

KIEV, June 14 - Ukrainian Insurance Company Generali Garant (earlier Garant-Auto Insurance Company) in 2006 occupied 8.2% of the Ukrainian insurance market, and this year and next year is planning to be among leaders among Ukrainian insurers, Generali Garant Chairman Yuriy Lakhno said.

KIEV, June 14 - Metinvest Holding jointly with Microsoft-Ukraine has started realizing a project to standardize software and optimize IT-infrastructure using Microsoft software at Pivnichny Ore Mining and Processing Mill and Tsentralny Ore Mining and Processing Mill (both based in Kryvy Rih in Dnipropetrovsk region).

KIEV, June 14 - Energy Capital, a Hungarian energy trader, won an auction in Ukraine on Thursday to buy 74.4 million kilowatt-hour of power for export to the European Union, UkrInterEnergo, the Ukrainian power exporter that organized the auction, said.