WARSAW, Feb. 21 - Poland and Ukraine will sign important energy cooperation agreements next week during Polish President Lech Kaczynski??™s visit to Kiev, Anatoliy Kinakh, the top security advisor to President Viktor Yushchenko, said Tuesday.

KIEV, Feb. 21 - Ukraine may stop direct purchases of natural gas from Turkmenistan should Ashgabat insist on hiking gas prices later this year, Oleksiy Ivchenko, chairman of the national oil and gas company Naftogaz Ukrayiny, said.

KIEV, Feb. 21 ??“ Confusion spread among five groups seeking to form a future government backing President Viktor Yushchenko??™s policy after former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko had unilaterally signed an undisclosed alliance agreement.

KIEV, Feb. 21 ??“ The presence of foreign banking capital increases the investment attractiveness of Ukraine, according to the coordinator of projects by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Viktor Marchenko.

LONDON, Feb. 21 - Moody's Investors Service placed on review for possible upgrade the Ba1 local currency long-term debt rating of Ukrsotsbank and the Ba3 long-term debt rating of the loan participation notes due 2008 issued by Ukrsots Finance B.V., the bank's issuing vehicle.

KIEV, Feb. 18 ??“ Ukraine is most likely to get $175 million from the World Bank under its Programmatic Adjustment Loan II within the next few weeks, Economy Minister Serhiy Teriokhin said following a Friday meeting with Paul Bermingham, the World Bank's Director for Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova.

KIEV, Feb. 21 - President Viktor Yushchenko proposed that the government impose a value added tax (VAT) on imports of crude oil to prevent possible corruption during re-exports.

KIEV, Feb. 18 ??“ The government, seeking to boost revenue, will propose the linkage of the compensation of top managers at major state companies to profits the companies make, an official said Friday.

KIEV, Feb. 18 ??“ The Finance Ministry seeks to reduce the 2005 budget deficit to 2% of gross domestic product, down from an estimated 7.8%, by slashing spending and boosting revenue via selling state assets.

KIEV, Feb. 19 ??“ President Viktor Yushchenko Saturday appointed close ally Petro Poroshenko secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, the body that advises the president on strategic issues.