KIEV, Jan. 14 - First Deputy Prime Minister Andriy Kliuyev Tuesday was appointed the secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, the top security body under the President, in the most serious government reshuffle yet.

BRUSSELS, Feb. 13 - The second progress report by the European Commission on the implementation by Ukraine of an action plan on visa liberalization points to "limited progress" achieved by Kiev.

KIEV, Feb. 11 – The largest number of corrupt officials in Ukraine is in the middle and lower layers of the administrative machine, according to President Viktor Yanukovych.

KIEV, Feb. 14 - Vasyl Onopenko, the head of the Supreme Court whose family members have recently come under mounting pressure from the Prosecutor General's Office, met President Viktor Yanukovych on Monday, the presidential press service reported.

KIEV, Feb. 11 – Foreign Minister Petro Poroshenko said he hopes for effective and fruitful cooperation with the new staff of the European Commission.

In his letters of congratulation addressed to the commission's newly elected members - Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Vice President of the European Commission Catherine Ashton, Poroshenko expressed hope for the further development of constructive and fruitful cooperation with the EU aimed at the implementation by Ukraine of its ambitious Euro-integration prospects.

BRUSSELS, Feb. 11 – Members of the European Parliament say Ukraine needs political stability to conduct reforms, which will bring the country closer to the European Union.

KIEV, Feb. 11 – President Viktor Yushchenko has signed a decree declaring the city of Kalush and the villages of Kropyvnyk and Sivka-Kaluska in Ivano-Frankivsk region environmental disaster zones.

KIEV, Feb. 12 – Parliament has passed a law on the procurement of commodities, labor and services using state funds.

The law was supported by 245 MPs out of the 374 MPs registered in the session hall. The Lytvyn Bloc faction abstained from voting. Representatives of the Bloc of Yulia Tymoshenko (BYT) faction earlier spoke against the adoption of the law, but 50 MPs from the BYT faction voted for the law.

KIEV, Feb. 14 – President-elect Viktor Yanukovych on Sunday again called on his defeated rival, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, to step down and let a new coalition form the new government.

KIEV, Feb. 14 – Viktor Yanukovych on Sunday was certified as the winner of Ukraine’s recent presidential election after the Central Election Commission rejected allegations of fraud submitted by his defeated rival, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.