President visits Bukovel

Victor Yushchenko visited the Bukovel ski resort in Ivano-Frankivsk oblast, the President press office reported.

Oleksandr Shevchenko, Director of Skorzonera, the company that owns Bukovel, told the President the resort would soon host up to thirty thousand tourists. They plan to build new ski lifts and ski runs. The development of the resort, funded by Ukrainian and foreign investors, will help create nine thousand additional jobs.

Ukrnafta also pledges to boost employment in the region. Its director, Ihor Palytsya, presented a 2006-2015 development plan to the President. He said the company planned to increase the production of oil and intended to introduce new technologies in order to explore new oil fields. They believe this will help reduce municipal energy prices for the poor. Mr. Palytsya also said they were going to build more gas stations. At the moment, Ukrnafta owns 588 stations.