The photo shows an actor playing zebra during the action Zebra - krashchy druh pishohoda (Zebra is the best friend of pedestrian) held by employees of the Regional Department of the State Road Traffic Inspectorate of Ukraine in Mykolayiv, Ukraine, November 10, 2009.

MYKOLAYIV. On tuesday, employees of the Regional Department of the State Road Traffic Inspectorate of Ukraine held an action entitled Zebra - krashchy druh pishohoda (Zebra is the best friend of pedestrian) aiming to decrease road traffic accidents in Mykolayiv. For the purpose, inspectors helped old people, children and other pedestrians to cross the street without threat to their lives. During the action employees of the Regional Department of the State Road Traffic Inspectorate conducted public awareness efforts as well as distributed some special instruction booklets among Mykolayiv residents.

In 2007, Ukraine was ranked seventh with USD 774 million worth of arms exports.

According to the SIPRI, the world’s top three arms exporters were the United States (USD 6.159 billion), Russia (USD 5.953 billion), and Germany (USD 2.837 billion).

In 2004-2008, Ukraine became the ninth arms exporter with USD 2.083 billion. The United States was first (USD 34.901 billion), Russia second (USD 28.563 billion), Germany third (USD 11.45 billion), and France fourth (USD 9.607 billion).

]]> http://ukrainianservice.com/?feed=rss2&p=641 http://ukrainianservice.com/?p=638 http://ukrainianservice.com/?p=638#comments Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:20:15 +0000 tush http://ukrainianservice.com/?p=638

A model catwalks representing a creation by Ukrainian designer Ayna Hasse of her Spring/Summer 2010 collection on November 4, 2009 in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital. UKRINFORM. /ND/

KYIV. A fashion show by Ukrainian designer Ayna Hasse was held in Kyiv. Head of the State Committee of Ukraine for Regulatory Policy and Entrepreneurship Oleksandra Kuzhel and President of the model agency “Karina” Vlada Lytovchenko attended the show. /ND/

MYKOLAYIV. Recently, a new exhibition devoted to space ships was opened at the Mykolayiv Museum of Shipbuilding and Fleet - a unique museum in the CIS countries. Being invited by Mykolayiv Mayor Volodymyr Chayka, its guest of honour became Ukrainian-Russian cosmonaut Yuriy Gidzenko (born in Mykolayiv), a Hero of the Russian Federation, and currently Deputy Head of the Yuriy Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center who entered space three times. He was accompanied by his friends and mother during the event. Within the frames of the meeting Yuriy Gidzenko told that different high positions of the Yuriy Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center are occupied by five Mykolayiv residents. The cosmonaut has also presented some exhibits for the museum, in particular, photos of Mikolayiv and its surroundings made from the space at heights of 400 km, a uniform coat decorated with all necessary cosmonautic stripes and the Star of Hero as well as some samples of food for cosmonauts. /TF/

The victory on Saturday saw Ukraine move a point ahead of Croatia into second place in Group Six, and a win in their final game against Andorra will put them into the playoffs.

England, who had a 100 percent qualifying record under Fabio Capello, produced a sub-standard performance and were under constant pressure from the 13th minute when goalkeeper Robert Green was sent off.

Andriy Shevchenko missed the resulting spot-kick, but Serhiy Nazarenko ensured Ukraine ran out winners in Dnipropetrovsk when he struck what turned out to be the winner in the 29th minute.

England had already qualified for the World Cup, but their hopes of taking a flawless record to the World Cup looked unlikely after Green was shown a red card for a professional foul on Artem Milevskiy inside the penalty area.

Milevskiy took advantage of a lapse in concentration by Rio Ferdinand and had a clear run on goal before Green brought him down. Referee Damir Skomina did not hesitate to point to the spot before showing Green the red card.

Winger Aaron Lennon made way for goalkeeper David James, whose first task was to face Shevchenko’s penalty but the former Chelsea striker could only hit the post and the ball bounced to safety.

Ukraine made amends though as England’s defense lost focus for a second time in the match as Ashley Cole conceded possession near the edge of the area and Nazarenko capitalized with a shot which deflected off the Cole’s head past a flat-footed James.

Milevskiy struck the woodwork again moments before the half-time interval and Yaroslav Rakitsky forced James to make a spectacular save after the break as Ukraine continued to dominate.

James saved well again from Andriy Yarmolenko as broke clear before Wayne Rooney missed a late chance to give England an undeserved point.

Source: CNN

Nibulon Agricultural Limited Liability Company

Nibulon Agricultural Limited Liability Company (Mykolayiv), one of Ukraine’s farm goods producers and exporters, is implementing an investment program worth USD 150 million on the construction of 7 elevator and river terminals, as well as on the creation of own river fleet.

In particular, the construction of two elevators in Poltava region and a river terminal in Cherkasy region is ahead of schedule and will be completed in less than three months.

According to Poltava region governor Valeriy Asadchev, Nibulon’s project is the most important one being presently implemented in the region.

In frames of the large-scale investment project, the company will also create own fleet (24 non-self-propelled dry-cargo river-sea ships, 7 tugboats). The first four non-self-propelled vessels have been already launched and another 4 ships will be put into service in mid October.

Nibulon Agricultural Limited Liability Company cultivates more than 70,000 ha of land. Owing to the company, Ukraine has opened new markets for export of Ukraine’s farm goods after a long break - Egypt, Israel, Indo-China countries. In 2008/09 MY, Nibulon exported 4.6 million tons of grain and oil crops.

http://www.ukrinform.ua/eng/order/?id=170620

Kiev, Ukraine - Elton John will not be able to adopt a 14-month-old Ukrainian child because the pop star is too old and isn’t traditionally married, Ukraine’s minister for family affairs said Monday.

The pop signer toured a hospital for HIV-infected children in eastern Ukraine on Saturday as part of a charity project and said that he and his male partner David Furnish wanted to adopt an HIV-infected boy named Lev.

But the country’s Family, Youth and Sports Minister Yuriy Pavlenko told The Associated Press that adoptive parents must be married and Ukraine does not recognize homosexual unions as marriage.

John and Furnish, his longtime partner, tied the knot in 2005 in one of the first legalized civil unions in the United Kingdom.

Pavlenko also said John was too old. The singer is 62 and Ukrainian law requires a parent to be no more than 45 years older than an adopted child.

“Foreign citizens who are single have no right to adopt children … and the age difference between the adopter and the child cannot be more than 45 years,” Pavlenko said. “The law is the same for everybody: for a president, for a minister, for Elton John.”

John gave Lev a big kiss at the orphanage in Makiyivka.

“I don’t know how we do that, but he has stolen my heart. And he has stolen David’s heart and it would be wonderful if we can have a home,” John said.

Pavlenko said Ukraine was grateful for the singer’s charity work and expressed hope that his desire to adopt Lev would spur the domestic adoption of more children with health problems, which is still rare in Ukraine.

http://www.wkrg.com/raw_news/article/official-no-ukrainian-adoption-for-elton-john/359819/Sep-16-2009_1-46-pm/

President Viktor Yushchenko met Euronews President and Executive Director Philipp Cayla. The meeting was held on the occasion of signing an Agreement on September 11 between the National TV and Radio Broadcasting Company and the Euronews information service on setting up the Ukrainian language version of the Euronews. The matter concerns a 15 minute newscast from Monday and till Friday on the First National TV channel (the agreement is valid till the year end with its following prolongation).

The President highly appraised setting up by the NTRC and the Euronews a short version of the well-known European TV channel. In his conviction, the European state cannot be aside of the world integration processes, including in the information sphere.

“This project is one of small pages of our Eurointegration, since it is the thing that can make us closer most of all - the unified information space”, he said.

According to Philippe Cayla, next step of cooperation should be work over full Ukrainian version of Euronews.

http://www.ukrinform.ua/eng/order/?id=169402

By Clare Spencer
Breda, Netherlands

Clare Spencer

The idea of a ginger festival may sound like little more than a bit of fun, but when 3,000 redheads came together for a recent gathering it became a bonding experience.

Bart Rouwenhorst steps on to his crane and slowly rises above his ginger empire. A sea of redheads all dressed in white look up from the park below and follow his instructions to wave at the 20 or so photographers and cameramen.

The photo shoot is the culmination of celebrations for Redhead Day - an annual day - which has spilled across a weekend - to mark all things ginger, paid for by the local government in Breda, a city in the south east of the Netherlands.

Festival founder Bart Rouwenhorst explains how Redhead Day was born

But for its founder, Mr Rouwenhorst, who is notable for his blond rather than ginger locks, it is the pinnacle of his efforts so far to champion the ginger-hued among us. A mechanical engineer by day, Mr Rouwenhorst is also an amateur painter and it’s this sideline which first awoke his interest in those of fair skin and flame hair.

Finding himself drawn to the aesthetic qualities of redheads, he advertised for 15 ginger models to paint - only to be deluged with e-mail responses. The 15 turned into 150, whom he photographed. But when many of those who didn’t get selected voiced their disappointment, Mr Rouwenhorst decided to make an annual event of the redhead gathering.

Five years on, it has grown into a huge festival of ginger self-affirmation, overtaking the city centre for one weekend every September.

“We have families with children, we have older people who were teased as children and then we have many proud women who come to the festival. They know they are fantastic and they just come to feel great.”

Driven out

The promise of this amber spectacle also appeals to the more muted-mopped mainstream - with an estimated 7,000 non-redhead spectators attending.

Ginger twins
Strength in numbers - many redheads find the festival empowering

But the initiative is firmly with the redheads. And there is much common ground. Men and women sporting a spectrum of ginger, from strawberry blonde to rich ochre, swap stories of being picked on in the playground, discrimination in the wider world - a family in Newcastle claimed they were driven from their home because of anti-ginger abuse in 2007 - and the whys and wherefores of raising a ginger brood.

Walking round the city, redheads smile and laugh with one another. Since this is a celebration of gingerism, an army of hairdressers, makeup artists and cameramen have been drafted in to prepare for the fashion shoot, treating redheads like celebrities. The dermatologist’s class - redheads tend to have very fair skin - is so popular it has to move to the main part of Breda’s cathedral to accommodate all those who want to attend.

Mr Rouwenhorst marvels at the innate connection between members of one of the most genetically distinctive yet disparate groups in the world.

“When people come together as redheads, they just look at each other,” he says. “They have a certain bond. And I think this whole event will some day expand to multiple events, maybe across the world. I think the ginger community will start.”

Strong people

It’s a far-sighted pronouncement. Do people with red hair really want to seek out the company of those with similar colouring?

This exclusive community is already functioning and making money for Brigitte van Hengel. She runs a ginger modelling agency and is looking to add a ginger-only theatre company.

Ginger family
Whether or not to raise a ginger brood - one topic of conversation

Ms van Hengel, whose reddish locks are somewhat faded, seeks out redheads not just for their aesthetic qualities - but their character traits too. Most have had to put up with bullying, she says, which in turn has made them strong and proud characters.

Behind the scenes at the fashion show civil servant Anneloes Rynders is preparing for the catwalk. While being sown into her dress by the designer Marian Kastelein, she tells a story of an uncomfortable childhood that is shared by many at the festival.

“In my youth it wasn’t nice to be different. It changed around the age of 16 or 17. I got more confidence, I went out and got attention - because I’m a redhead. I stopped being ashamed. It’s actually nice to stand out in a crowd.”

Ms Rynders prefers being unusual and doesn’t like the idea of an exclusively ginger community. However, she is disappointed that none of her children has ginger hair, so welcomes the idea that such a place may spawn more ginger offspring.

Alan Petrie has travelled from Aberdeen to research the possibility of starting a ginger community in Scotland. Curiosity drove him to the event but he is going away with a sense of belonging.

Should there be a redhead community?

“I came here because I wanted to see if people with red hair would like to meet each other - we could take that back home and see if it worked on a more local level. I think redheads do enjoy being together and not being the odd one out.”

He is particularly concerned about discrimination against his ilk, which he thinks isn’t taken seriously.

“After an anti-ginger South Park episode, Kick a Ginger Day started in Canada and someone was seriously hurt. When it was revealed that one of the Big Brother contestants was dying his hair and underneath he was ginger he got shouted abuse I can’t repeat, when he was evicted. If he was black the people shouting this would have been arrested.”

Ironically, claims of racial discrimination were also invoked when Mr Rouwenhorst investigated the possibility of getting his festival noted in the Guinness World Records. Redheads, he was told, were considered a minority by its editors, who will not record events based on racial characteristics.

Certainly, there’s little taste for any sort of genetic purity at the event. The majority of redheads appear happy to accommodate those of the brown, black and fair-haired persuasion. Even the organisers insist that cafes don’t restrict their free drink offers to natural redheads - but include those who dyed their hair for the day.

So has this year’s festival helped foster a sense of ginger belonging?

Thorger Enge Herrara, who grew up in Mexico, says redheads are so unusual in his homeland that when he sees one they exchange pleasantries and he buys them a drink.

“It doesn’t happen so often. It’s not a community where I’m from because it’s so rare.”

For this weekend, though, Mr Herrara is understanding what it’s like to be one of a crowd rather than a curiosity.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8245290.stm

Traditional ceremonies and a national day of service will remember the victims of the attacks

Remembrance services are to be held in the United States to mark the eighth anniversary of the hijacked plane attacks of 11 September 2001.

Nearly 3,000 people died when the four planes crashed in New York, at the Pentagon and in a Pennsylvania field.

President Barack Obama will speak at the Pentagon site and Americans have been encouraged to contribute to a national day of service.

US soldiers in Afghanistan completed a 9.11km (5.5 mile) run to mark the day.

‘Sacrifices of thousands’

Traditional ceremonies including moments of silence and the reading of the names of the victims will take place at the sites of the attacks.

President Obama will join defence secretary Robert Gates at the Pentagon, where 184 people died, to meet members of victims’ families and lay a wreath.

“I greatly fear at some point we’ll transition to turning it into Earth Day… and the remembrance part will become smaller Debra Burlingame,” - sister of victim

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the president would “speak about what the day means and the sacrifices of thousands, not just at the Pentagon, but in Pennsylvania and certainly and most obviously in New York”.

On Thursday, Mr Obama issued a statement urging Americans to take part in community service while also vowing to “apprehend all those who perpetrated these heinous crimes, seek justice for those who were killed, and defend against all threats to our national security”.

Vice-President Joe Biden will attend the New York ceremony.

There will be four moments of silence there - one each for the times the two planes crashed into the World Trade Center towers and for the collapse of the buildings.

Volunteers who helped in the aftermath of the attacks will join family members in reading the more than 2,700 names of the victims.

The BBC’s Matthew Price in New York says the Ground Zero area remains a building site, despite plans for a memorial, a museum and five new skyscrapers.

Ground Zero

Ground Zero is still a building site eight years after the attacks

Delays caused by political arguments and financial and legal disputes have left huge question marks over the entire project, he says.

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell will speak at the site of the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

The names of the 40 passengers and crew will be read to mark the time of the crash - 1003.

In a break with tradition, the anniversary has also been designated a national day of service.

Americans have been encouraged to contribute their labour and time in memory of the victims.

Conservation projects, aid packages for serving soldiers and the simple offering of work for free are among the undertakings made by members of the public.

However, some commentators and members of victims’ families have expressed concern that the remembrance may lose its primary focus.

Debra Burlingame, whose brother died at the Pentagon, told Associated Press news agency: “I greatly fear at some point we’ll transition to turning it into Earth Day where we go and plant trees and the remembrance part will become smaller.”

About 1,000 US troops in Afghanistan marked the anniversary with a 9.11km run at the main Bagram base in Kabul. Two other bases also took part.

The 9/11 attacks sparked the US-led invasion in October 2001 to oust the Taliban and tackle al-Qaeda leaders living in Afghanistan.

A formal commemoration service will take place later to coincide with the time of the New York attacks.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8249810.stm

Ukraine is interested in developing dynamic and effective partnership with the Russian Federation emphasized President Victor Yushchenko at today’s press conference in Poltava region.

“Certainly, it is important to have active Ukrainian-Russian relations. This corresponds with national interests”, he said.

However, the President said, Ukraine stands for mutual respect of our two countries to one another, building equal relations, including trade, and against the “policy of constraints” it faces today.

In this context, Victor Yushchenko pointed to a number of unresolved issues, particularly creation of a free trade zone. “We’re sorry that since the establishment of the CIS only 4% of the reached agreements within its framework have been actually implemented… We support pragmatism in our relations. But pragmatism means that we must form primarily the modern market economic relations, which should of course be based on a free trade zone “, said Victor Yushchenko.

Separately he pointed to the need to form a new customs policy. “Customs economic border should not be a blood clot in the channel of exchange of goods, services or investment”, he said.

Ukraine also constantly stresses the importance of consistent, and later single tariff policy, the President said, “so that it was not used today as a form of pressure on the organization transit trade flows”.

“We oppose any restrictions in the area of goods, services, investment and labor trade”, noted the President.

“We of course expect that our partners adequately approach realization of our common opportunities. So once again I, as the President, address the President of Russia and Russian authorities with a call to enhance our dialogue, our relations, to stop involving politics in these relations as it has happened a few weeks ago … when simply wiredrawn questions were raised only to raise the temperature of negativism in our relations”, said Victor Yushchenko.

http://www.mfa.gov.ua/usa/en/news/detail/26942.htm

Victor Yushchenko welcomed by Lech Kaczynski in Warsaw

In Warsaw President Victor Yushchenko was officially welcomed by the President of Poland Lech Kaczynski.

After the welcoming ceremony the Presidents presented national decorations to each other. Victor Yushchenko was awarded the Commander’s Cross of Polonia Restituta and conferred Lech Kaczynski the Order of Liberty.

Members of Ukrainian delegation include: Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Volodymyr Khandogiy, NSDC Secretary Raisa Bohatyryova, Vice Prime Minister Ivan Vasyunyk, Minister for Culture Vasyl Vovkun, Minister for Family, Youth and Sports Yuri Pavlenko, Deputy Head of Presidential Secretariat Andrii Goncharuk, acting Chairman of the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory Ihor Yukhnovsky.

Source: http://www.mfa.gov.ua/usa/en/news/detail/27589.htm

18 years ago on August 24th, 1991 the Verhovna Rada of Ukraine declared the independence of Ukraine. This became one of the most prominent events of XX century. At the all-national referendum held on December 1, 1991 over 90% of Ukrainian citizens expressed their will and supported the Independence Act adopted by parliamentarians earlier.

That day became a turning point in the history of the Ukrainian nation’s development and a powerful impetus to unification for Ukrainians all over the world, inspiring work for peace and prosperity in our common homeland.

Though we celebrate only the 18th anniversary of Ukraine’s new Independence, the process of the Ukrainian statehood establishment has more than a thousand-year history. Ukraine is proud of her many fellow countrymen, worldwide known historical figures, who made their important contribution into the world’s history. These are – Princes Volodymyr the Great and Danylo Halytsky, Hetmans (Cossack Chiefs) Petro Sahaydachny, Bohdan Hmelnytsky and Ivan Mazepa, author of the first Ukrainian Constitution Pylyp Orlyk, famous politicians at the turn of XX century Myhailo Hrushevsky and Volodymyr Vynnychenko, Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists - Ukrainian Insurgent Army (OUN-UIA) leaders and plenty of others. They created the history of Ukrainian statehood, full of struggle for independence, for a chance for a free Ukraine to exist. Beginning from the Kyiv Rus and to contemporary Ukraine our country always possessed qualities of a democratic and European country seeking friendship and accord with other civilized countries.

Though Ukraine was not able to solve all its problems vital for the country during these 18 years we have been able to gradually from the Ukrainian nation with its distinct mentality and culture, language, traditions, history, without discrimination of views, faith or descent. During the years of independence there grew the whole generation of people born in free Ukraine. They consider the concepts of ‘national interests’, ‘human right’, ‘freedom of speech, faith, movement or choice inseparable form the notion of ‘independent Ukraine’.

Ukraine has gone through dramatic changes during the last five years (since the Orange revolution) witnessing fundamental shifts that led to our reassertion as a European democratic nation.

A large amount of work has been accomplished. We are proud that Ukraine established a stable democratic system of power. It is based on European values and democratic traditions, market economy, respect to human rights and freedoms including freedom of the media. The democratic nature of the Ukrainian authorities can be vividly shown by the fact that twice n the last couple of years the opposition parties had come to power as result of free and fair elections. This is a practical evidence of Ukraine’s political system maturity, effectiveness and stability.

Like in other democratic countries, Ukraine is also developing its highly competitive political environment. Sometimes it leads to heated political debates in the parliament, mass media and society on important issues of the national policy. It is important to note though that the hottest political processes are always taking place within the constitutional framework, and fundamental decisions are made on the basis of political consensus. This is an undeniable evidence of Ukrainian democracy’s European nature.

Meanwhile Ukraine is going through the process of improving a balance between various branches of power, chief governmental institutions, President, Verhovna Rada and Cabinet of Ministers. The issue of a constitutional reform related to this process is widely debated in the society.

Despite complex internal political discussion and complicated international economic processes, just prior to the outburst of the global financial crisis Ukrainian economy had the best ratings of its growth in the last couple of years. Starting from 2004 Ukraine has doubled its GDP. International investments in Ukraine increased by 4,5 times – from 8.6 billion US$ to 36 billion. The average monthly salary increased twofold for the same period. Starting form 2005 there have been 1.1 million new jobs created every year.

Unfortunately, like in many other countries, this dynamics was slowed down by the global financial and economic crisis. However, recently we have been noticing evidence that the Ukrainian economy started recovering from the crisis’ negative consequences. In June 2009, the gross industrial output grew by 3,1% comparing to May 2009, and in the processing industry production increased by 3%. During the same period, production and distribution of electrical power, natural gas and water increased by 5,2%.

Ukraine continued to strengthen its position internationally as an active participant of global and regional processes. Thanks to the balanced and predictable foreign policy Ukraine enjoys respect of other countries and develops friendly and mutually beneficial relations with its international partners.

The key priorities of the Ukrainian foreign policy remain European and Euro-Atlantic integration focused on acquiring the membership in the EU and NATO. This aspiration reflects our interest to reunite historically and culturally with the community of European nations as a system of advanced democratic values.

We in Ukraine truly believe that successful European integration is the best means of providing our national security, its steadfast democratic and economic development. These priorities are in conjunction with developing very friendly, substantial and equal relations with our strategic partners, other countries of the region and the world which regard Ukraine as an equal partner and a friend. Ukraine has already accomplished a lot in this area.

We may list to the accomplishments Ukraine’s accession to WTO in May 2008 and negotiations with the EU to prepare Association agreement, free trade area and visa free regime.

We have drawn a comprehensive business plan to modernize our gas pipeline transit network paving the way for uniting Ukraine’s and EU’s energy grids and the signing of an Energy cooperation treaty.

Ukraine acceded to the Bologne education process.

Together with Poland we shall host Euro-2012 soccer championship further opening up our economy and tourist attractions to the world.

A genuine watershed in our relations with NATO was the decision of the 2008 Bucharest summit, corroborated by subsequent decisions, to have Ukraine as its future member. Currently, we work on this goal by implementing our annual national programs similar to membership action plan.

We enjoy a high level of strategic partnership with the United States of America. Key bilateral documents were signed last year - Charter on strategic partnership, the Road Map of cooperation priorities, agreement on trade and investments and on research and peaceful exploration of space, as well as a number of commercial contracts.

The basic institutional mechanisms of bilateral collaboration are the newly created Commission on strategic partnership, Working groups on non-proliferation and export control and on energy security and the Trade and Investments Council.

The United States supports Ukraine in various international fora, including its Euro-Atlantic integration, accession to WTO and membership in the UN Human Rights Council, as well as promoting energy security and investments. In 2008, the bilateral trade volume increased by 1.7 times to 5.7 billion US$ with a balanced export/import ratio.

The US Congress backed Ukraine on a number of important issues including NATO aspirations and the international recognition of the 1932-33 Ukrainian famine-genocide.

With the arrival of the new US Administration Ukraine-US relations continue to catch up its high dynamics, as testified by the recent visit of Vice-President Joseph Biden and the decision to create the above mentioned strategic partnership Commission.

Washington will further support Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration affirming the point that Ukraine is free to take its ultimate decision about NATO membership. Our American friends reiterated their commitment regarding national security assurances extended to Ukraine in accordance with the 1994 Budapest memorandum.

Under the current global financial crisis, the United States assists Ukraine in its constructive dialog with the IMF and the World Bank, notably the stand-by program. Despite this crisis, the trade and investment collaboration between the two countries continue to develop in a meaningful manner.

Energy cooperation is also very pragmatic and result-oriented aimed at engaging American companies to modernizing Ukrainian pipeline system, diversifying sources of nuclear fuel supply and its after-use containment, upgrading safety at our nuclear facilities, decommissioning Chornobyl plant and turning the new sarcophagus into an environmentally safe system.

Ukraine and the USA collaborate actively in preventing proliferation of WMD and in fighting terrorism.

The new US Administration announced its plans to increase the volume of technical assistance to Ukraine from 90 to 120 million US$. Part of this sum will go to support scientific research and joint high tech projects.

Celebrating the 18th anniversary of its independence, Ukraine is assured that its steady democratic progress and a favorable international environment will lead to its gradual integration into a united Europe.