KIEV, April 18 – Parliament has come two votes short of supporting a reduction in the pension age for Ukrainian women to 55 years.

On Wednesday MPs at the first reading considered two bills on amendments to the Ukrainian law "On obligatory state pension insurance". The bill proposed to lower age of women's retirement on a pension to 55 years.

KIEV, April 18 – President Viktor Yanukovych welcomes the decision of the European Parliament to approve the Visa Facilitation Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union, the Ukrinform news agency quoted the presidential press service as saying.

KIEV, April 19 – A final decision on the approval of the amended visa facilitation agreement between Ukraine and the EU will be taken in the first half of May at a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara said.

KIEV, April 19 – President Viktor Yanukovych on Friday signed into law four bills that had been approved at a controversial session of lawmakers outside Parliament earlier this month.

KIEV, April 21 – Prime Minister Mykola Azarov survived a no-confidence vote on Friday and will now have six months to continue his policies before opposition groups can again initiate the motion.

KIEV, April 21 - Prime Minister Mykola Azarov on Thursday played down the possibility of abrogating a 10-year natural gas supply agreement with Russia, but insisted his government will press to renegotiate the “shackling” deal.

KIEV, April 21 – The ruling Regions Party is seeking to amend legislation to restrict foreign funding of civic groups in Ukraine amid fears the groups may be used to ignite street protests against the government.

KIEV, April 19 – Shanghai's experience in resolving many municipal problems could be applied in Ukrainian cities such as Kiev, according to Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov.

KIEV, April 21 – President Viktor Yanukovych’s administration on Wednesday restricted access to most Ukrainian reporters of his press conference with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, forcing them to watch the event on a video.

KHARKIV, April 21 - Russia will reduce natural gas prices for Ukraine by an average of 30% as part of a complicated political deal that extends stationing of its navy in a Ukrainian port Sevastopol.

The agreements were reached at a meeting between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his Ukrainian counterpart Viktor Yanukovych in Kharkiv.