Ukraine

KYIV. July 21 (Interfax) - Ukraine's GDP growth came to around 6.3% in the first half of 2010, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said at government meeting in Kyiv on Wednesday.

Azarov also said that industrial output had been increasing along with cargo throughput and domestic retail turnover.

The head of a group of advisors to National Bank of Ukraine chairman Valery Litvitsky forecast real GDP growth for the first half of 2010 at 6.2%-6.4%, admitting that GDP growth for the year would reach around 4%.

The World Bank in June increased its forecast for Ukraine's GDP growth in 2010 from 2.5% to 3.5% and for 2011 - from 3.5% to 4%.

The Ukrainian government forecast GDP growth in 2010 at 3.7% following GDP decline of 15.1% for 2009.