Russia is no longer on the list of the EU's top three trading partners

In 2015, the Russian share of the total trade volume of the EU shrank to 6%, putting it in fourth place. Deutsche Welle reported that Eurostat financial data show Switzerland climbing to third place while the US and China continue to hold the top two spots."Starting from 2013, Russia’s share of the total trade volume with the EU has dramatically decreased,” the Eurostat report stated, from 284.6 billion euros down to 210 billion in 2014. The report also detailed the US share in total trade at 18 …


Belarus hopes Russia will agree to simultaneously raise the retirement age in 2017

As Belarusian Prime Minister Andriy Kobyakov stated in an interview with RIA Novosti, Russia and Belarus discussed the topic of raising the retirement age. “In Minsk, we hope that Moscow will make a decision on the simultaneous increase of the retirement age in Russia and Belarus in 2017,” he said. “However, there are no agreements on this joint action,” he added.

"We expect that our partners will make the appropriate decisions. There was a discussion about this. However, there are no …


Obama confirms readiness to provide Kiev with $1 billion tranche

Barack Obama has confirmed his readiness to provide Kiev with a tranche of one billion dollars after the formation of the new government in Ukraine. According to the press service of the Ukrainian President, Obama announced this at a meeting with Petro Poroshenko during the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington.

"Special attention was paid to the need to form a reform-oriented coalition and government in Ukraine as fast as possible. President Obama has confirmed his readiness to provide the …


Poroshenko urges the UN to investigate torture of Ukrainian prisoners in the occupied territories

Poroshenko and Ban Ki-moon discussed the protection of human rights in the temporarily occupied territories.During a meeting with the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon,in Washington, the President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, urged to appoint a special UN Envoy to investigate the torture of forcibly detained Ukrainian citizens in Russia and the occupied territories of the Donbas, reports the Press Service of the Ukranian President.The parties paid special attention to the protection of human …


Kiev promises to appoint a 'worthy' Prosecutor General

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko discussed possible candidates for the post of Prosecutor General of Ukraine while he was in Washington, D.C. The White House press service stated that Poroshenko assured US Vice President Joe Biden that he is ready to appoint a new worthy Prosecutor General—one who will earn confidence.

Poroshenko also informed Biden about coalition negotiations concerning the formation of the new Ukrainian government which should be faithful to a realization of a reform …