.European MPs to hold final vote on association agreement with Serbia.

STRASBOURG, January 18 (Itar-Tass) - The European Parliament deputies
will on Tuesday discuss the EU Agreement on Stabilization and Association
with Serbia. The final vote on the document, which is opening a path to
full-fledged European integration fro Belgrade, will be held on the
sidelines of the plenary session of the highest legislative body of the
European Union.
An international treaty was signed in April 2008 but until now hasn't
been ratified by the European Union largely because of the position of the
Netherlands demanding that Serbia should step up its cooperation with the
International Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia. Several steps taken by
official Belgrade have partially removed that contradiction.
If endorsed by the European Parliament, the Association Agreement will
go for approval to the Council of Europe, the EU highest political body.
Observers believe that this may happen in the second half of 2011.

.President Yanukovich to travel to Japan to discuss investments.

MOSCOW, January 18 (Itar-Tass) - Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich
will on Tuesday begin an official visit to Japan to discuss the
possibility of attracting Japanese investments and technologies needed for
the modernization of Ukrainian economy. The head of state will meet
Japanese Emperor Akihito and will hold talks with Prime Minister Naoto Kan
and the leadership of the Japanese parliament, the Ukrainian president's
press service reports.
Yanukovich will deliver a speech at the headquarters of the Japan
Business Federation. On January 19-21, he will visit the cities of Kyoto
and Osaka to discuss prospects of inter-regional cooperation. The
president will speak about the situation in Ukraine and its foreign policy
priorities at the Kyoto University.
A package of documents, including a joint statement on
Ukrainian-Japanese global partnership, is to be signed.
Ukreximbank and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation will sign
an agreement for opening a second credit line.
In 2005, they agreed on a credit worth 50 million dollars for
retooling Ukrainian enterprises. The same year, a Japanese bank reserved
about 180 million dollars for expanding the central Borispol airport in
Kiev.
The two countries will consider the implementation of major joint
projects, including within the framework of preparations for the final
part of the 2012 European football championships that is to be held in
Ukraine and cooperation in overcoming the consequences of the Chernobyl
nuclear power plant accident.
Japan is Ukraine's third biggest creditor after Russia and Germany.
As of November 30, 2010 Ukraine's debt to Japan ran up to 142 million
dollars.
The trade exchanges between Ukraine and Japan stood at 655 million
dollars of which almost 65 percent fall on goods imported from Japan. The
imports include cars and electronics. Japan imports metals, steel rolled
stock, grain and agricultural goods. Japan is also one of the biggest
donors helping to rebuild an area around the Chernobyl nuclear power
plant. In the run-up to the visit, Yanukovich said that Japan would be an
honorary guest at a conference that will be held in April in connection
with the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident.
In 2009, Ukraine and Japan also concluded an environmental agreement
under which Tokyo p [aid 290 million euros to Kiev for the purchase of its
unused quotas for greenhouse emissions, which cause climate warming.
President Yanukovich's visit is taking place against the background of
a big scandal linked to reports about the wrong use of funds, which Tokyo
allocated under the environmental agreement with Kiev under the government
of Yulia Timoshenko. In an interview with the Japanese media ahead of the
visit, Viktor Yanukovich said that his administration would fulfil all
obligations with regards to Japan. He expressed the hope that Ukraine and
Japan would continue cooperation in trade with quotas for the emission of
greenhouse gases.

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