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AUG. 19 2:10 P.M. ET Ukraine's economy minister said Friday that his country intended to pull out of an economic pact with three other ex-Soviet republics led by Russia following talks with the Russian trade minister, the Interfax news agency reported. "The main result of our meeting is that Ukraine and Russia have decided what to do with the CES project," Serhiy Teriokhin was quoted as saying by Interfax. "We are switching to a bilateral format of cooperation with Russia." He said that a committee would be established to discuss bilateral relations with Russia. "Evidently, after this committee is established,...

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko said on Saturday that Ukraine wants to develop and deepen economic relations with Russia. "We have traditional relations of friendship with Russia where Ukraine used to sell 38% of its produce and is now selling just 18%. We want to develop our interests in this market. But what we need is a different policy and other mechanisms. That is why we talk about the CIS and those Common Economic Space initiatives, which are vitally important for us," Yushchenko, who is currently visiting Georgia, told a briefing in the mountain resort town of Borzhomi, Itar-Tass reported. "I...

In July 207,000 jobs were created, above expectations, and the unemployment rate held steady at 5.0% Upward revisions for May and June as well.

MOSCOW, July 12 (RIA Novosti) - Ukraine's possible refusal to participate in the Common Economic Space (CES) will not stop Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus from continuing integration processes, a high-ranking official said Tuesday. Dmitry Sukhoparov, Russia's national coordinator in the High-Level Group on the CES, told a RIA Novosti news conference: "The CES can work even without Ukraine. We [Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan] can work when there are three of us." However, Sukhoparov stressed, "It should not be forgotten that Ukraine means almost 50 million people, and the bigger the market in terms of area, number, GDP and capital, the more...

Ukraine says "no hope" for further development of CIS KYIV. April 9 (Interfax) - Ukrainian Economics Minister Serhiy Teryokhyn said on Saturday that the Commonwealth of Independent States "is a system that has finished attaining all the objectives set to it" and that "there is no hope for its development." Teryokhyn told a news conference that the Ukrainian government would soon consider stopping its financial contributions to CIS bodies. The news conference was called to comment on the results of a meeting this week of the high-level group for forming what is called the Common Economic Space, a union to...

U.S. Aug nonfarm payrolls fell 93,000 Friday September 5, 8:28 am ET WASHINGTON, Sept 5 (Reuters) - U.S. Labor Department seasonally adjusted jobs data. In 1,000s, Change Aug July (Prev) June (Prev) in Nonfarm Payrolls -93 -49 -44 -83 -72 Jobless Rate (Pct) 6.1 6.2 6.2 6.4 6.4 Earnings, Hours of Private, Non-Farm Production workers: . Aug July (Prev) June (Prev) Avg Weekly Hours 33.6 33.6 33.6 33.7 33.7 Manufacturing Hours 40.1 40.1 40.1 40.3 40.3 Overtime Hours 4.1 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 Earnings/Hour (dlrs) 15.45 15.43 15.44 15.38 15.39 Pct change 0.1 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.3 Non-Farm Month-On-Month Payroll...

U.S. July nonfarm payrolls fell 44,000 Friday August 1, 8:29 am ET WASHINGTON, Aug 1 (Reuters) - U.S. Labor Department seasonally adjusted jobs data. In 1,000s, Change July June (Prev) May (Prev) in Nonfarm Payrolls -44 -72 -30 -76 -70 Jobless Rate (Pct) 6.2 6.4 6.4 6.1 6.1 Earnings, Hours of Private, Non-Farm Production workers: . July June (Prev) May (Prev) Avg Weekly Hours 33.6 33.7 33.7 33.7 33.7 Manufacturing Hours 40.1 40.3 40.2 40.2 40.2 Overtime Hours 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.1 4.0 Earnings/Hour (dlrs) 15.44 15.39 15.38 15.35 15.35 Pct change 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.3 Non-Farm Month-On-Month Payroll...