11/10/2015 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - Verkhovna Rada adopted the laws needed for introduction of a visa-free regime with the EU

Verkhovna Rada adopted the laws needed for introduction of a visa-free regime with the EU

11.10.2015 Daily Highlights by the Digests & Analytics Ukraine Agency

Topics from Media and Social Networks

• The Verkhovna Rada adopted the laws needed for introduction of a visa-free regime with the EU.
• Equal Rights Amendment for LGBT was rejected.
• Singer Ognevich abandoned the deputy mandate.
• Number of militants provocations increase in the Donbass.

In Ukraine

• The Parliament adopted five of the six laws required as a condition for granting a visa-free regime with the EU. The National  Agency for managing the assets obtained in a criminal way was created. A law on seizure of property, which may be an evidence of a crime, was adopted. The deputies approved amendments to the Codes of Criminal and Civil Procedures relating to the improvement of the methods of the special confiscation of the corrupt officials assets. The amendment to the Labour Code, prohibiting the discrimination of the LGBT representatives did not  get enough votes. President Poroshenko addressed the deputies with an appeal to still adopt this bill. EU Ambassador to Ukraine Tombinsky declared that the Government version of the anti-corruption legislation corresponds to the EU requirements.
  The investigative jurisdiction of the SBU was limited only by the issues of national security and the fight against terrorism.
  The functions of the Ministry of Interior were handed over to the National Police .
  Elections in Mariupol and Krasnoarmeysk will be held on November 29th. The ballots  will be printed by the Central Election Commission.
  The MPs, with overwhelming majority, voted to extend the moratorium on sale of agricultural lands for another year.
  The bill, reducing the rent for the natural gas production companies, did not get enough votes and after additional consultations was sent for the repeated reading.
• More than 20 MPs signed an appeal to the ambassadors of the leading countries of the world to urge the Ukrainian authorities to stop the political repressions. It is stressed in the appeal that no one is punished for corruption, murderers of the "heaven’s hundred" are not found , the inactivity of law enforcement agencies contributes to the increased number of crimes, and the government is throwing to jail civil society activists and volunteers.
• Public activists won in the trial court a case on abolishment of the tariffs imposed by the National Commission in spring of 2015 . The Commission filed an appeal, the case consideration will continue. Prime Minister Yatsenyuk proposed to the Parliament to consider the changes in tariffs at a joint meeting with President Poroshenko and the heads of the factions.
• Head of Naftogaz Kobolev said that Ukraine in five years can reduce natural gas consumption by 10 billion m3 and increase its production in the same volume, which will ensure a full independence of the country from imports. According to him, the purchases of the natural gas in Russia will be carried out only when necessary, and at affordable price.
• The National Bank left the official exchange rate of the hryvnia unchanged: 23,76 ₴ / $ (+0,01 UAH), 24,38 ₴ / € (-0,14 UAH), 3,53 ₴ / 10 ₽ (+0,01 UAH) .

Ukraine at War

• With each passing day, the intensity of attacks by the militants on Ukrainian positions and settlements increases , their number is over several dozens daily. Militants use not only small arms but also heavy mortars and armored vehicles. Recorded were the facts of a large-scale movement of heavy equipment by the militants to the demarcation line and their attempts to organize provocations to justify their reasons for breaking the ceasefire. Official Headquarters of the Anti-Terrorist Operation say about several wounded soldiers. Observers in the combat zone inform about larger numbers of losses. The army leadership states about small probability of militants offensive, as without air support, it will not be successful.
• Head of the Donetsk regional military-civilian administration Zhebrivskyi said that due to the resumption of attacks by militants on control checkpoints and infrastructure in the occupied territory , there will be no new corridors opened.
• Military prosecutor Matios called the negligence of the officials a main cause of the fire at the ammunition depot in Svatovo. He also announced about simultaneous defection of 20 fighters of the "Berkut" special division , which were to be charged of the persecution of the Maydan activists.
• In Kiev, the process over Russian commandos captured by the Ukrainian military in the battle near Schastye continued. The Russians refused to admit the guilt, but are willing to cooperate with the investigation. The court did not recognize them as prisoners of war.

Ukraine and the World

• The US Senate adopted amendments to the budget for 2016. $ 300 million as military assistance to Ukraine were retained.
• EU Trade Commissioner Malmström said that the agreement on free trade zone between Ukraine and the EU will enter into force on 1 January 2016, notwithstanding any actions of Russia. According to her, the resumption of contacts with the Euro-Asian Economic Community will be possible only after the full implementation of the Minsk agreements and termination of the economic pressure of Russia on Ukraine.
• President Putin said that Russia will develop shock weapons, able to overcome any anti-missile systems. According to him, the true purpose of the United States is neutralizing of the nuclear potential of Russia.
• US President Obama once again extended the "state of emergency" regarding Iran for a year. He said that the relations with Iran had not been yet normalized, it is necessary to distinguish clearly between questions of nuclear safety and human rights. An agreement signed earlier in summer on minimizing of Iran's nuclear program did not affect the previously imposed sanctions.
• On November 15-16 Antalya (Turkey) will host the G20 summit , during which President Obama intends to discuss with partners the process of settlement of the conflict in Syria and the fight against the terrorist threat from the "Islamic state." Officials do not exclude the possibility of a bilateral meeting of the Presidents of Russia and the United States.
• US Treasury Secretary Lew plans to visit Ukraine on November 13-15 to discuss the reforms in the financial system and the fight against corruption.
• Turkish Prime Minister Davutoglu in response to the threat from Syria announced about readiness to respond by the impact from air and land, including the destruction of planes that invade the country's airspace.
• German Foreign Minister Steinmeier said that the law on the special status of the Donbass should enter into force on the day of elections in the region. Following Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, he streses the need to extend the Minsk agreements for the  next year.
• The United Kingdom officially started negotiations to amend the terms of its membership in the EU.

The Trends

• In the Parliament fights between the adversaries of high utility tariffs continue. According to a number of deputies and experts, the high price of natural gas for industry and the population is connected with high rental payments of the enterprises, producing the natural gas. The opponents of the project claim that the decrease in rental payments would lead to a disproportional increase in earnings of the gas monopolists. Earlier Yatsenyuk and other officials, while in opposition, insisted that the price of natural gas of its own production is less than $ 100 per 1,000 m3, and all the needs of the population could be met through own resources. Under the Constitution, all the country's natural resources belong to its citizens. However, during negotiations on the loan program with the IMF, the Government committed itself to bring the tariffs in line with the real costs.
• The voting on the draft laws needed for introduction of a visa-free regime with the EU, showed that the Administration of President Poroshenko has enough levers to ensure the desired result. On the other hand, some of the deputies may vote based on their own interests. Such distribution of forces does not allow to confidently evaluate the result of voting on amendments to the Constitution, which promotes President Poroshenko.
• European politicians and the Russian Foreign Ministry openly speak about the obligations that  the Ukrainian authorities undertook to provide a special status to certain parts of Donetsk and Lugansk regions. The Government and the President of Ukraine insist that this can only happen when a number of conditions is met, in particular, the withdrawal of Russian troops from the territory of Ukraine and returning to Ukraine of the control over the state border. However, all the participants of the "Normandy process", except for Ukraine, stressed that first the local elections sould take place in this area, and only after this the occupational troops would be withdrawn.