Moody's Investors Service said it changed its ratings outlook for Ukraine on Wednesday to positive from stable on exceptional macroeconomic performance that has helped foreign currency reserves and debt ratios.
The outlook change covers Ukraine's "B1" foreign-currency country ceiling for bonds, the "B1" rating on outstanding government medium-to-long term foreign- and local-currency bonds, and the "B2" country ceiling for foreign-currency bank deposits, Moody's said in a statement.

"After four years of very good economic performance Ukraine's economic growth has 'taken off' in 2004, with annual average growth now registering over 13 percent," the statement noted. "Both externally and internally oriented sectors of the economy are expanding rapidly, and the country's external accounts are in very good shape."