05/13/2015 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - Former President of Georgia Saakashvili headed the Council of Reforms under the President of Ukraine

05.13.2015 Daily Highlights  by the Digests & Analytics Ukraine News Agency

Topics from the Media and Social Networks

• Former President of Georgia Saakashvili headed the Council of Reforms under the President of Ukraine.
• Verkhovna Rada terminated the powers of the deputy Miroshnik.
• The Ukraine - NATO Commission gathered in Antalya, Turkey.

Key Events of Ukraine

• President Poroshenko appointed former President of Georgia Saakashvili a Head of  advisory National Council of Reforms.
• President Poroshenko and Chancellor Merkel held negotiations in Germany. Poroshenko sees no alternative to the Minsk Agreement, and insists on the peaceful settlement of the conflict. Merkel confirmed that the Minsk Agreement is not being observed.
• Prime Minister Yatsenyuk during his working visit to France agreed with French President Hollande to hold in autumn in Paris an Investment Summit for Ukraine. He  also invited French businessmen to take part in the privatization of the state enterprises and the restoration of the Ukrainian economy.
• Minister of Economic Development Abromavicius said  that there are 171 "sore points" for the business in the country, and his office focused on deregulation, stimulation of trade and reduction of the regulatory barriers.
• A draft law on the national police was submitted to the Verkhovna Rada .
• The Parliament at the fifth attempt terminated the powers of the deputy Miroshnik because of the scandal connected with his corrupt correspondence during the session of the Verkhovna Rada which reporters recorded. The process of withdrawing of the parliamentary immunity was started regarding the deputies Klyuyev and Melnychuk.
• Ministry of Internal Affairs is investigating a criminal case against the former Head of the State Investment Agency Kaskiv and officials associated with him. They are charged of embezzlement of public funds in the amount of more than 2 billion USD of Chinese investments and laundering of illegally obtained income. Kaskiv is currently in Austria.
• Deputy Interior Minister Chebotar resigned after a headline-making journalist investigation.
• "Naftogaz" national joint stock company admitted that negotiations with the European donors on a loan for the purchase and pumping of the natural gas for the next heating season are difficult because of the Europe’s reluctance  to accept significant Ukrainian risks.
• Fluctuations in the hryvnia official exchange rate against the major currencies were minor: 20.57 UAH/USD (-0.07 UAH), 23.08 UAH/EUR (-0,11 UAH), 4.15 UAH /10 RUR (+0.10 UAH).

Ukraine at War

• Continuous fights take place in the surroundings of Donetskt. Shyrokino, settlements in the area of ​​Dzerzhinsk, Stanitsa Luganskaya, Krymske were shelled. According to the official information, 10 soldiers of the Ukrainian army were injured.
• The OSCE Mission reported that the militants moved the heavy equipment from the places of permanent deployment to an undisclosed location. The Anti-Terrorist Operation headquarters announced that the equipment was noved to the contact line. In recent days a sharp increase in attacks with the use of artillery with calibres 122 mm and 152 mm and heavy mortars was recorded. Observers recorded the deployment of two militants tactical missile systems "Tochka-U" in the area of ​​Makeyevka, which is in 15 kilometers from the fighting line.
• OSCE considers the military parade in Donetsk a violation of the Minsk agreements.

Ukraine and the World

• Speaker of the US Department of State called the talks of the Secretary of State Kerry and Russian President Putin normal business activities and stated that the restarting of relations was not discussed. Kerry gave Putin a clear and tough message about Ukraine. The US sees the implementation of the Minsk agreements in providing the OSCE with the full access to all areas of conflict; cessation of attacks and shellings; withdrawal of Russian heavy weapons, including the air defense systems;  transfer of the control over the state border to Ukraine. In addition, the groups established as the result of the talks in Minsk, with participation of the militants representatives, need to start working.
• In Antalya (Turkey) a Ukraine - NATO meeting was held. The outcome document contains the requirements to immediately release Ukrainian  political prisoners, illegally detained in Russia, to unconditionally implement the Minsk agreements and support of Ukraine.
• NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg announced about the holding of joint exercises with Ukraine this autumn in order to develop an emergency response system. He said that the Alliance will strengthen its office in Kiev and will support Ukraine in various fields, including logistics, cyber security and commandment.
• The Vatican recognized the independence of Palestine and established diplomatic relations with it, which caused a harsh reaction of the Israeli leaders.
• The Polish oil and gas company PGNiG after six months of fruitless negotiations filed a claim to the Stockholm arbitration with the requirement to revise the price for the natural gas supplied to the country.
• Putin's spokesman Peskov said that the case of Savchenko is not related to the Minsk Agreement.
• Serbian President Nikolic during the meeting with the Chairman of the Federation Council Matvienko said that his country would not impose sanctions against Russia. Serbia, as the OSCE Chairman, will make every effort to resolve the conflict in the Donbass.

The Trends

• According to the foreign press, the talks between Ukraine and the private creditors committee hit the roof. The Committee does not wish to disclose the names of the members to the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine and will support only such debt restructuring, which it will consider reasonable. According to experts, the negotiations may be delayed until the end of the summer. Their positive result depends on the  IMF position the on further crediting of Ukraine in accordance with the extended funding program.