The Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Andriy Parubiy opened the morning session.

Opening the morning plenary session, the Chairman informed the audience that on Tuesday the Committee on National Security and Defense had decided to consider the draft law on national security on the second reading. “This allows us to begin considering the fundamental draft bill on national security in the afternoon,” stated A.Parubiy.

The presiding officer then gave the floor to O.Vilkul, MP, representing two parliamentary factions – “Vidrodzhennia” and the Opposition Bloc. The member of the Parliament strongly insisted upon immediate changes (the bill No.8362) in the 2018 state budget to ensure a proper financing of the coal industry’s public sector.

The Chairperson of the Parliament gave the floor to representatives of parliamentary factions and groups who made their announcements, statements, reports, and proposals. Then, they switched over to the ratification issues.

After the break, parliamentarians began to consider the second reading bill No.8068 on national security. 196 amendments were reviewed from the 427 filed. The amendments work shall continue at the next plenary session.

The presiding officer closed the meeting.

 

The Output of the Session

 

  • F i r s t  reading bills taken

None.

 

  • S e c o n d  reading bills taken

 

On ratification of financial agreement: Draft bill No.0184

The Parliament has ratified the Financial agreement (“Ukraine’s Higher Education” Project) between Ukraine and the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO), signed in Kyiv on December 19, 2017.

To realize the project, the European Investment Bank (EIB) extended a EUR 120 million loan to Ukraine, with the follow-up add-on of a EUR 10 million grant given by the Eastern Europe Energy Efficiency and Environment Partnership (E5P) Fund. The Ukraine’s portion of the project amounts to EUR 30 million to be funded by the state budget, universities and the like. According to the financial agreement, the loan makes EUR 30 million for fifteen years with a grace period of five years. The interest rate is set to be either floating or flat one to be added with an interest margin of 3,41%. The loan is to be settled by equal installments semiannually or by fixed payments. A minimal tranche amounts to EUR 1 million.


Worthy of note


NEFCO: Who we are?

NEFCO’s financing is targeted at small and medium-sized projects (SMPs) with demonstration value. All of NEFCO’s activities focus on generating positive environmental results. NEFCO’s financing is aimed at increasing use of the best Nordic Solutions in terms of experience and practices, and at serving as a forerunner enabling bigger projects and scaling-up possibilities, which in many cases are then driven forward by the larger International Financial Institutions.

When it was established, NEFCO focused on generating tangible, positive environmental impacts in the Nordic region – and in particular the Baltic Sea – through investment in neighbouring Central and Eastern European countries. The reduction of pollutants affecting the Baltic Sea has since been a priority of NEFCO’s financing activities.

As a function of its extensive fund management assignments, similar activities in the Arctic and Barents regions have been added and NEFCO has developed into a financial institution supporting Green Growth and the Climate globally.

 

NEFCO has its headquarters in Helsinki, Finland and a Representative Office in Kiev, Ukraine. NEFCO has some 40 employees.

The Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO) is governed by its constituent documents: the Agreement between Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden concerning NEFCO, the Statutes of NEFCO as well as the Host Country Agreement between the Government of Finland and NEFCO. These establish that NEFCO is the Nordic countries' common International Financial Institution having the same status as other legal persons conducting similar operations within and outside the Nordic countries.

Co-operation partners:

Nordic

Nordic Investment Bank (NIB)
Nordic Development Fund (NDF)
Nordic Council of Ministers (NCM)
Nordic Partnership Initiative (NPI)
Nordic working group for global climate negotiations (NOAK)
Nordic Innovation
Cleantech Scandinavia

International

Arctic Council (AC)

Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM)

Baltic Development Forum

Baltic Sea Region Energy Cooperation (BASREC)
Barents Euro-Arctic Council (BEAC)
Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (CCAC)
Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS)
Eastern Europe Energy Efficiency and Environmental Partnership (E5P)
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
Green Climate Fund (GCF)
Northern Dimension Environmental Partnership (NDEP)
World Bank (WB)

NEFCO promotes sustainability, equality, transparency, predictability, accountability and responsibility as general principles enhancing and furthering good governance.


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