KIEV, Oct. 30 – The suspension of the transfer of seaports to the long-term concession and their privatization after stabilizing the situation in the eastern part of Ukraine is foreseen in a draft coalition agreement of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc posted on its Web site early Wednesday.

KIEV, Oct. 29 - Tokmak Solar Energy LLC launched the first phase of a solar power plant in Tokmak district of Zaporizhia region with a capacity of 1.5 MW, the press service of Zaporizhia Regional Administration has reported.

KIEV, Oct. 29 - Ukraine began the 2012/2013 heating season with natural gas reserves in underground gas storage facilities of about 21 billion cubic meters (bcm), Minister of Energy and Coal Industry Yuriy Boyko said.

KIEV, Oct. 29 – Russian Ambassador to Ukraine Mikhail Zurabov said Ukraine's joining the European Energy Community is an obstacle to the creation of an international gas consortium for the management of Ukraine's gas transport system with involvement of Gazprom.

KIEV, Oct. 29 – Four companies submitted bids for a tender to supply two semi-submersible floating drilling rigs to Naftogaz Ukrayiny, the company reported.

Latvia's Rigas Kugu Buvetava, Singapore's Keppel FELS Limited, Belize's Magic Worldwide Ltd and Belize's Aida Holding Ltd submitted the bids.

KIEV, Oct. 29 – The exchange rate of the hryvnia against the U.S. dollar on the interbank forex market on Monday fell to UAH 8.1800 from UAH 8.1675 per U.S. dollar registered on Friday, October 26.

KIEV, Oct. 30 – President Viktor Yanukovych has signed laws passed by parliament this fall that calls for writing off and restructuring debts of arms producers under Ukroboronprom concern.

Yanukovych signed the law to ensure the producers can continue operation and expansion.

KIEV, Oct. 30 - Ukrainian billionaire Vadim Novinskiy's Smart-holding has closed the acquisition of 96.06% of the shares in Kiev-based Forum Bank from Commerzbank AG, the holding said in a press release.

BRUSSELS, Oct. 30 - Ukraine’s parliamentary elections has failed to comply with the European practice and that is unlikely to normalize relations between Kiev ad Brussels, Olga Shumylo-Tapiola, an expert of Carnegie Europe in Brussels, said.

The European Union leaders' statements indicate that Kiev has beaten its own record in manipulation techniques, especially on the polling day and during the vote count, she said.

KIEV, Oct. 30 – President Viktor Yanukovych on Tuesday faced growing international pressure over flawed parliamentary elections after the U.S. had joined European organizations to express concerns over the handling of the vote.

The growing criticism may potentially put at risk Ukraine’s relations with the West and may effectively delay the country’s political association and a free trade agreement with the European Union.