The Austrian-Ukrainian Business Forum was held in Kyiv, bringing together representatives of the governments of both countries, heads of leading Austrian companies and Ukrainian businesses. The Union of Ukrainian Entrepreneurs was a partner of the event, which became an important platform for the development of economic dialogue and the search for new opportunities for cooperation.
The forum was opened by Wolfgang Hattmansdorfer, Federal Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism of Austria.
The participants were welcomed by:
Oleksiy Sobolev, Minister of Economy of Ukraine
Andreas Herz, Vice-President of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber
Hennadiy Chyzhykov, President of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Austrian business is ready to participate in the reconstruction of Ukraine
In his speech, Wolfgang Hattmansdorfer emphasised that the reconstruction of Ukraine will be one of the largest economic projects in Europe and, at the same time, an act of solidarity.
According to him, a strong Ukraine means a strong Europe, and Austrian companies intend to actively participate in the country’s recovery process.
The minister noted that Austrian businesses have strong expertise in a number of areas that are important for post-war reconstruction, in particular:
- energy and renewable energy
- transport and infrastructure modernisation
- engineering and construction
- financial instruments for the development of infrastructure projects.
The minister emphasised that Austrian companies seek not only to develop business partnerships, but also to support Ukrainian communities. In particular, during the visit, a new energy system was handed over to the city.
Ukraine is interested in joint investment projects
In his speech, Ukrainian Minister of Economy Oleksiy Sobolev emphasised that Ukraine is interested in deepening cooperation with Austrian investors, particularly in the areas of industrial development and economic modernisation.
According to him, Ukraine is working on creating new financial instruments to support investment and plans to attract up to UAH 500 billion in investment over the next five years for economic development and infrastructure reconstruction. Particular emphasis was placed on the development of industrial policy, as a strong industry today is not only an economic factor but also an element of national security.
Joint focus — energy, infrastructure and innovation
Andreas Herz, Vice-President of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, emphasised that Ukraine’s European integration opens up new opportunities for economic partnership.
He named the following as key areas of cooperation:
- modernisation of energy infrastructure
- development of renewable energy
- technological modernisation of industry
- expansion of trade relations between companies in both countries.
He also stressed that the Ukrainian economy has significant potential, particularly in the areas of agricultural production, technology and the defence industry.
A platform for new partnerships
The Austrian-Ukrainian Business Forum has become a platform for direct negotiations between companies, discussions of potential investment projects, and the formation of new partnerships between businesses in the two countries.
The Ukrainian Entrepreneurs’ Union continues to be a reliable partner in establishing cooperation between Ukrainian businesses and international investors, which is an important step towards Ukraine’s economic recovery and the integration of Ukrainian businesses into the European market.