Students prepare their robots during a competition of First Global Challenge 2017, in Washington D.C., the United States, on July 17, 2017. (Xinhua/Ting Shen)

KIEV, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Ukrainian government said Thursday that it will increase its spending on science by about 30 percent this year to 219 million U.S. dollars.

Out of the total sum, some 134 million dollars will be invested in the projects developed by the National Academy of Sciences, a state-funded organization that coordinates research institutes in the country, Kiev said in a statement.

Universities and scientific researchers will obtain the rest of the funds.

In 2017, Ukraine's spending on science slipped to 168 million dollars, or 0.16 percent of the country's gross domestic product.