KIEV, Dec. 14– The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a draft memorandum on economic policies that will be submitted to the International Monetary Fund.

KIEV, Dec. 15 – Recently announced statistics for November in construction, retail trade and agriculture encourage hope for sustainable economic growth in Ukraine, according to Valery Lytvytsky, the head of the group of advisors to the governor of the National Bank of Ukraine.

KIEV, Dec. 16 – Precise wording in the amicable agreement between Ukraine and Vanco Prykerchenska Ltd. (British Virgin Islands) would help Ukraine avoid additional risks, according to the head of the western-Ukrainian branch of Arzinger law firm and lawyer, Markian Malsky.

KIEV, Dec. 15 – Western Union Company is consulting with the National Bank of Ukraine on settling issues regarding money transfer services in hryvnias, which the company started providing in July.

KIEV, Dec. 16 – Russia's Evraz Group, which owns some mining and metals companies in Ukraine, assesses negative reports in the Ukrainian mass media and holding of court hearings against the group's companies as deliberate illegal attacks and plans to force out foreign investors from Ukraine.

KIEV, Dec. 16 – The National Bank of Ukraine has extended a moratorium on the satisfaction of the claims of creditors of Kiev-based Rodovid Bank for another three months, said Serhiy Scherbina, the temporary administrator of the credit and financial institution.

KIEV, Dec. 16 – The National Bank of Ukraine has declared that January 1-3 and January 7-10, 2010 will be bank holidays, according to an NBU letter to the banks.

KIEV, Dec. 16 – The Ukrainian mergers and acquisitions market in 2009 will be worth around $8-10 billion due to a large number of small and large deals in various economic sectors, according to a survey by Sokrat Investment Group.

"Many deals will be initiated due to hopelessness or in order to sell a part of business to raise additional funds. The average size of the deal will fall, and their number will grow. The range of sectors will be rather wide," the group's experts said.

KIEV, Dec. 16 - Ukraine’s national oil and gas company Naftogaz Ukrayiny, the main shipper of Russian natural gas to the European Union, said Tuesday it had put in operation a new compressor plant making gas shipments more reliable.

KIEV, Dec. 15 -- Moody's Investors Service has downgraded the long-term foreign and local currency deposit ratings of Privatbank AS, a Riga-based subsidiary of Ukrainian Privatbank, to B2 from B1.