News of October 9th - 11th

[stepanstas]

Not much in the news, but i notice that if i group days, more people look at them. Now, all i want is reply's.

Ukraine's President called Angela Merkel

Victor Yushchenko phoned German Chancellor Angela Merkel, President's press office reported.

They spoke about economic and regional issues, especially how to develop Ukraine▓s ties with the European Union and Germany in particular.

⌠Germany appreciates Ukraine▓s important role in Europe,■ Ms. Merkel said, expressing support for our country▓s Euro-Atlantic bid.

She promised to help Ukraine sign a new agreement with the EU in 2007, when Germany presides in it.

⌠We support the President▓s idea to implement concrete projects to help Ukraine integrate into the European Union,■ she added.

Yushchenko and Merkel discussed energy and environmental projects, particularly in the context of Germany▓s G8 presidency in 2007.

The President insisted that talks on the creation of a gas consortium between Ukraine, Russia and Germany be resumed. He also said Germany could use our natural gas depots.

Yushchenko and Merkel agreed to conduct the sixth top-level consultations between the two countries and to reanimate the bilateral Economic Group. The Head of State then invited Germany▓s Economy Minister to Ukraine.

Shevchenko will be fit but debate is harming Ukraine, claims Blokhin

WITH only three points from two matches, the pressure is beginning to show as Ukraine coach Oleg Blokhin prepares his side to face Scotland in Kiev tonight.

Deprived of the services of striker Andriy Shevchenko at the weekend, Ukraine went down 2-0 to Italy. The forward has trained this week and is expected to feature tonight, so it was no surprise that his condition was the subject of media inquiries yesterday.

But yesterday Blokhin betrayed his anxiety with a suggestion that discussion of Shevchenko's fitness is hurting his side ahead of tonight's Euro 2008 qualifier.

"I would ask you not to raise this matter," Blokhin said. "I find it quite unpleasant. And it is creating some discomfort in my relations with Shevchenko.

"None of this is helping to create a proper climate in the team ... I have to get our guys ready psychologically. I would rather you criticise me for not selecting this or that player. Or for being too ambitious, or not ambitious enough."

There can be no disguising the fact, however, that Ukraine need the talismanic Shevchenko to be fit tonight if their campaign is to get back on track.

Of all the nations to reclaim their identity after the break up of the Soviet Union 15 years ago, Ukraine were always the most likely to make a significant impact on international football.

If anything, their qualification for this year's World Cup in Germany was overdue, although they made up for previous missed opportunities by reaching the last eight in their first appearance at a major championship finals, being eliminated by eventual winners Italy.

Their current FIFA world ranking of 13, their highest ever, is a testament to the work of Blokhin since he was appointed national team coach three years ago. The European Footballer of the Year in 1975, the greatest of the many fine players Ukraine provided for the USSR team before independence, commanded instant respect from the squad he inherited and led on a romp to qualify for Germany.

By the time they lost 1-0 to Turkey in Kiev a year ago, they had clinched their place in the World Cup finals, meaning their first competitive defeat in the Ukrainian capital for six years was meaningless.

If their record in Kiev is impressive, however, there is enough evidence to suggest Scotland should not be overcome by trepidation at the Olympic Stadium tonight.

Blokhin's squad was depleted before they lost 2-0 to Italy in Rome on Saturday night, the coach denied the services of key players Sergei Rebrov, Ruslan Rotan and Sergei Tkachenko because of injury, while Shevchenko remained at home nursing a temperature.

The selection problems facing Blokhin increased when Vladimir Yezerskiy, the Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk central defender, collected his second booking of the campaign against Italy to earn himself a suspension for tonight.

While there remains plenty of quality in the Ukrainian ranks, shuffling his defence is a major problem for Blokhin who may be forced to hand a debut to Arsenal Kiev youngster Olexandr Romanchuk. He was one of the mainstays of the Ukrainian under-21 side who were runners-up in the European under-21 Championship this year under the guidance of former Rangers player Alexei Mikhailichenko.

In their first home fixture in Group B against Georgia last month, Ukraine needed a late goal by defender Andriy Rusol to claim a hard-fought 3-2 victory after trailing 2-1, so it is clear they can be rattled in front of their own supporters.

Blokhin draws most of his squad from his country's two leading clubs, Dynamo Kiev and Shakhtar Donetsk whose poor form so far in the Champions League this season might suggest that many of his players are not currently operating at maximum capacity. Andriy Bal, Blokhin's assistant, said: "There is a problem psychologically with the players from Dynamo and Shakhtar because their teams have been having bad results. Our job is to try and restore the mental strength of these players who are in a rut."

Apart from Shevchenko at Chelsea, only three of the Ukraine squad on duty this week ply their trade on foreign soil. Midfielders Andriy Husin and Maksim Kalynychenko play in Russia, while striker Andriy Voronin is with Bayer Leverkusen in Germany. Blokhin recently called on the Ukrainian FA to try to naturalise Dynamo Kiev's Brazilian playmaker Carlos Correa as he looks to add greater creative flair to his team.

It is 12 years since Ukraine made their competitive debut following independence and they have come a long way since that 2-0 defeat at home to Lithuania in September 1994 in a European Championship qualifying match. Despite their current heady world ranking, however, there is a sense that Scotland may just be meeting them for the first time at exactly the right time. Although Shevchenko may have something to say about that.

Ukraine interested in gas consortium talks with Russia, Germany

KIEV, October 10 (RIA Novosti) - Ukraine's president said Tuesday his country was interested in resuming talks on the creation of a gas transportation consortium with Russia and Germany.

Russia's energy giant Gazprom and Ukraine's national oil and gas company, Naftogaz, signed an agreement to set up a consortium to manage and develop Ukraine's gas pipeline system in 2002. The participation of some European countries, including Germany and Poland, in the consortium was also discussed.

"Yushchenko highlighted the importance of resuming work on the formation of a Ukrainian-German-Russian gas transportation consortium and the participation of German partners in the use of Ukraine's underground gas storage facilities," the presidential press service said after Yushchenko's telephone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Yushchenko repeatedly spoke about the involvement of the European Union in the project.

Ukrainian Fuel and Energy Minister Yuriy Boiko said in early September that a decision on the gas transportation consortium will be made in October.

Ukraine's Yushchenko, Yanukovich discuss creation of wide coalition

KIEV, October 10 (Itar-Tass) - Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich are discussing creation of a wide coalition.

⌠This is one of the themes on the agenda of the president/prime-minister meeting underway at the head of state▓s secretariat,■ presidential press-secretary Viktor Baloga told a news briefing.

Earlier, the parliamentary faction of the pro-presidential bloc Our Ukraine declared it was shifting into opposition to the anti-crisis coalition of the Party of Regions, the Socialists and the Communists and ruled out any chance coalition talks might resume.

Nevertheless Yushchenko called for starting the process of negotiations anew.

Earlier, the Yulia Timoshenko Bloc said it would stay in harsh opposition to the government.

Maybe You Dont Want To Answer The Questions Because You Dont Have The Answer. It's An Opinion. It Counts. And You Dont Have To Answer Every Question.

• Do you think Merkel will help Ukraine in joining EU?
• Predictions on Scotland game?
• Do you think that the interest in gas means making more deals?
• Do you think that the President and Prime Minister are closer now, or are they faking it to join the country?
• Do you think Tymoshenko will achive anything by continuing to opose the government?