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Federation of Employers of Ukraine 

Agency for the Modernization of Ukraine 

The Agency for the Modernization of Ukraine was established in March 2015 upon an initiative of Mr. Dmitry Firtash, the President of the Federation of Ukraine. The Agency was created by Mr. Karl-Georg Wellmann, Head of the German-Ukrainian Parliamentary group, a Bundestag Member; Lord Risby, British MP; and Mr. Bernard-Henry Lévy, French public activist, writer and philosopher. The Agency for the Modernization of Ukraine was presented at the international forum Ukraine Tomorrow held by the Federation of Employers and the largest trade union organizations of Ukraine in March 2015.   
 

It took 200 days to develop a clear comprehensive Plan for the Modernization of Ukraine, and in the autumn 2015 the work on the program of reforms was completed. The Federation of Employers of Ukraine, Ukrainian trade unions, experts, scientists of the National Academy of Sciences will present the program at the Congress of the Federation of Employers of Ukraine on December 2, 2015, in Kyiv. As reforms start to be implemented, the Ukrainian Restoration Fund will be set up to uphold the sustainable development of the economy and infrastructure.

“During 200 day we have to elaborate the clear program for modernization of Ukraine. It has to be the Master plan for Ukraine. Knowledge and experience of foreign and Ukrainian scientists and experts will be useful in Ukraine’s development. At that we have to understand that Ukraine doesn’t have resources for restoration. While the reforms are being implemented, we have to create an investment fund amounting not less than $300 bn”, said Dmitry Firtash, the FEU President and initiator of the Agency for the Modernization of Ukraine.
  • The International Forum Ukraine Tomorrow initiated by the Federations of Employers and trade unions of Ukraine took place in Vienna
  • The event has triggered remarkable interest among Europeans: instead of the originally registered 250 participants, the turnout was over 500 representatives of business and political communities of Europe
  • Representatives of France, Germany and the UK have endorsed the proposal jointly moved forward by the Federation of Employers of Ukraine and trade unions of Ukraine to set up the Agency for the Modernization of Ukraine
  • As a result of the Ukraine Tomorrow the declaration speaking about the Agency foundation was signed by Mr. Reiner Lindner, Head of the German-Ukrainian Forum; Mr. Karl-Georg Wellmann, a Bundestag Member; Mr. Bernard-Henry Lévy, French public activist, writer and philosopher; and Lord Risby, British MP
  • Mr. Karl-Georg Wellmann, a Bundestag Member, Head of the German-Ukrainian parliamentary group
  • Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz, the Prime Minister of Poland in 1996-1997, Gunther Verheugen, Vice-president of the European Commission for Enterprise and Industry (2004-2010), an honorary Professor at the European University Viadrina, and Kenneth Macdonald, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) of England and Wales (2003–2008)
  • The modernization plan will be being drafted by eight renown European politicians and business people leading various facets of Ukraine’s Euro-integration including health care, finance and taxation, economy, trade, constitutional and legal reform, anti-corruption and law enforcement
  • The first President of Ukraine Leonid Kravchuk appealed to the participants of the Forum
  • The Modernization Program will include: the constitutional, legal and state institutions reform, integration with the European Union, combatting corruption, financial sector and state government systems improvement, economy, trade and health care modernization
  • Bernard Henri-Levy, French political journalist, philosopher and writer
  • The President of the Federation of Employers of Ukraine Dmitry Firtash has become one of the initiators of the Ukraine Tomorrow forum
  • The President of the Federation of Employers of Ukraine Dmitry Firtash noted that the Agency had been established following 9 months of the FEU’s cooperation with Ukraine’s Europe’s leading experts, scientists and business people
  • The Forum organizers are sure that not only Europeans will take part in the restoration and modernization of Ukraine’s economy, but the President of Ukraine and Verkhovna Rada deputies will support the initiative
  • As reforms start to be implemented, the Ukrainian Restoration Fund will be set up to uphold the sustainable development of the economy and infrastructure
  • The estimated amount needed for the comprehensive quality reconstruction of the Ukrainian economy totals $300 billion of investments
  • Leonid Kravchuk, the President of Ukraine (1991-1994), Mr. Karl-Georg Wellmann, a Bundestag Member, Head of the German-Ukrainian parliamentary group, Dmitry Firtash, President of the Federation of Employers of Ukraine, and Peer Steinbrück, the architect of the Euro protection program during the 2008 economic crisis
  • “We are looking to raise some $300 bn. What is important is that this money will be channeled into business and specific projects and we will be able to see their efficiency at once,” added Mr. Firtash
  • The dialog of the European diplomats, trade unions and employers attracted attention of media representatives from all over Europe
  • Yarema Zhuhaievych, the President of the Trade Union of Aircraft builders of Ukraine, took part in the Forum
  • The European elite considers  Ukrainian employers and trade unions as the partners for Ukraine’s economy recovery
  • Lord Risby, British MP
  • As a result of the Ukraine Tomorrow forum held in Vienna, the declaration speaking about the Agency foundation was signed
  • John Whittingdale, Member of the British Parliament said that British Prime Minister James Cameron expressed his support for the initiative of establishing an Agency for the modernization of Ukraine, which will implement needed reforms
  • The European elite considers  Ukrainian employers and trade unions as the partners for Ukraine’s economy recovery
  • The economic priorities will be under the guidance of Mme. Laurence Parisot, one of the most influential women in France and an ex-President of MEDEF (French Employers Association) in 2005-2013
  • The European integration work stream will be led by Gunther Verheugen, Vice-president of the European Commission for Enterprise and Industry (2004-2010), an honorary Professor at the European University Viadrina
  • The anti-corruption activities will be elaborated under the guidance of Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz serving as the Prime Minister of Poland in 1996-1997 and after that, in his capacity of the Foreign Minister of Poland (2001-2005), he signed the Agreement on Polish accession to the EU
  • Health care proposals will be devised under the leadership of Bernard Couchner – ex-Foreign Minister of France and founder of the international organization “Doctors Without Borders”
  • In 200 days, the Agency will present a clear and comprehensive Ukraine modernization action plan
  • Dozens of journalists from leading European mass media attended the Forum to talk with representatives of Europe’s political and business circles
  • Dmitry Firtash, the President of the Federation of Employers of Ukraine, answers journalists’ questions
  • Dmitry Firtash is sure that the Agency for modernization of Ukraine will succeed

In the framework of the Agency eight streams led by the influential European politicians and experts were created. The European integration work stream will be led by Gunther Verheugen, European Commissioner for the EU Enlargement in 1999-2004. The economic work stream is under the guidance of Waldemar Pawlak, one of the most influential politicians serving as the Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Poland in 2007-2010, and as the Prime Minister of Poland in 1992-1995. Trade affairs belong to the jurisdiction of Lord Mandelson who used to work with Tony Blair’s and Gordon Brown’s governments later serving as the European Commissioner for Trade. Otto Depenheuer heads the constitutional reform work stream and anti-corruption activities are elaborated under the guidance of Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz serving as the Prime Minister of Poland in 1996-1997 and after that, in his capacity of the Foreign Minister of Poland (2001-2005), he signed the Agreement on Polish accession to the EU. The law enforcement-related proposals will be supervised by Lord McDonald who served as the Prosecutor General of England and Wales in 2003 – 2008. Based on intensive preparatory work of the "Doctors without Borders" organization founder and the former Minister of Health and Foreign Affairs of France Bernard Kouchner, the healthcare work stream is led by two personalities: Paul Robert Vogt and Ilya Yemets.

The AMU team is led by Michael Spindelegger, the influential Austrian politician who served as the Minister of Finance of Austria (2013-2014), Vice-Chancellor of Austria (2011-2014), and the Foreign Minister of Austria (2008-2013). 

The Agency for the Modernization of Ukraine creation was preceded by the two international Round tables held in Vienna and initiated by the German-Ukrainian Forum in 2014. During the event, influential experts, politicians and businessmen from Ukraine, Russia, France, Germany and Great Britain discussed the steps necessary to be done by Ukraine and other countries in order to restore peace, stabilize situation in Ukraine, and defuse military, political and economic tension in Europe.

“We have to show, that Ukraine and Europe are united. It is commonly discussed: Ukraine is in Europe or not. Ukraine was and will be in Europe. And we see at what price Ukraine reaffirms its position”, said Dmitry Firtash.
  • Roundtable under the program “Ukraine in Europe: Peace and Development” was held with support of  German-Ukrainian Forum and the Federation of Employers of Ukraine
  • On November 3, 2014, the Roundtable “EU-EEU-Ukraine Single Economic Space” took place in Vienna
  • The EU, Ukrainian and Russian business leaders are discussing actual issues of economic cooperation
  • The President of the Employers’ Confederation of Latvia, Vice-president of the BusinessEurope Association Vitalijs Gavrilovs
  • The Federation of Employers of Ukraine has become the partner of the program “Ukraine in Europe: Peace and Development”
  • The Vice-president of the Federation of Employers of Ukraine Oleksiy Miroshnichenko
  • During the forum, more than 100 participants were discussing possibilities of common projects realization
  • The Chairman of the German-Ukrainian Forum Rianer Lindner noted that escalation of the political conflict had been resulted in decrease of the EU, Ukraine and Russia’s economies
  • One of the initiators of the Roundtable, Director of the Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations, Chairman of the "German-Ukrainian Forum" prof. Dr. Rainer Lindner
  • During the meeting, more than 100 experts from Ukraine, Germany and Austria discussed the economic reforms in Ukraine focusing on the modernization of agriculture
  • The experts focused on the issues of the Ukraine's economy competitiveness and agricultural productivity improving
  • Vienna Roundtable was the second event in the series of international meetings of politicians and business community representatives aiming to find ways of resolving the conflict in Ukraine
  • The FEU President Dmitry Firtash is sure that single economic space of Russia, Ukraine and the eurozone countries will bring peace in Ukraine and stability in Europe
  • European businessmen realize that common economic space with common technical standards, terms of trade being benefited by all the parties will restore confidence between the countries
  • The Chairman of the German-Ukrainian Forum Rainer Lindner, FEU President Dmitry Firtash and Senior Vice President for Government Relations in Germany of the Knauf Group Michael Glos
  • The President of the Federation of Employers of Ukraine, Chairman of the Group DF Supervisory Council Dmitry Firtash
  • The EU, Ukrainian and Russian business leaders consider a single economic space from Lisbon to Vladivostok as a precondition for peace in Europe
  • Vienna Forum gathered journalists from all over Europe
  • The Chairman of the German-Ukrainian Parliamentary Group in the German Bundestag Karl-Georg Wellmann delivered the report before the delegates
  • Karl-Georg Wellmann said that a precondition for peace in Europe was a development of economic partnerships in the region
  • Business leaders believe the  unification of markets is a winning strategy for everyone in a new economic zone
  • The President of the Federation of Employers of Ukraine, Chairman of the Group DF Supervisory Council Dmitry Firtash
  • Vienna Forum gathered core journalists from all over Europe
  • Günter Verheugen, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for Enterprise and Industry (2004-2010), Chairman of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Aleksandr Shokhin and Prof.Dr. Rainer Lindner
  • The Chairman of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Aleksandr Shokhin
  • Employers of Ukraine, Germany, Latvia, Russia, Austria, and other countries have already been working on a plan to create a common market from Lisbon to Vladivostok
  • The Chairman of the German-Ukrainian parliamentary group in the Bundestag Karl-Georg Wellmann and Chairman of the Board of the Association of Employers of Kharkiv region ‘Granite’ Anatoly Hirschfeld
  • Vienna Forum brought together 40 media representatives from all over Europe
  • More than 100 economists, businessmen and politicians of Europe, Ukraine and Russia attended the Forum in Vienna
  • The Chairman of the "German-Ukrainian Forum" Prof. Dr. Rainer Lindner and the President of the Federation of Employers of Ukraine Dmitry Firtash
  • The FEU President, Chairman of the Group DF Supervisory Council  Dmitry Firtash
  • More than 100 economists, businessmen and politicians of Europe, Ukraine and Russia attended the Forum in Vienna
  • Managing partner of the German agricultural consulting company NIKA PP Consulting GmbH Karen Fisher
  • During the event, the delegates of the Forum also discussed the increase in productivity, efficiency and quality of agricultural value chains
  • Vienna Forum gathered core journalists from all over Europe
  • During the Forum, delegates also discussed education and qualification initiatives for the agricultural sector of Ukraine
  • More than 100 economists, businessmen and politicians of Europe, Ukraine and Russia attended the Forum in Vienna
  • Senior Vice President for Government Relations in Germany of the Knauf Group Michael Glos
  • The Managing Director of Group DF Boris Krasnyansky
  • Group DF owner Dmitry Firtash
  • More than 100 economists, businessmen and politicians of Europe, Ukraine and Russia attended the Forum in Vienna
  • President of the Employers’ Confederation of Latvia Vitalijs Gavrilovs
  • Executive Vice-president of marketing and strategy, Executive Board member of the CLAAS company Dr. Theo B. Freye
  • John Deere General Director Igor Kutovoy
  • The Chief representative of the German company Gebr Pottinger GmbH, a  major producer of agricultural equipment, Franz-Georg von Busse
  • Europe, Ukraine, and the Customs Union – such an economic model European politicians and businessmen predict for Ukraine
  • The Director General of the audit company "Baker Tilly Ukraine" Oleksandr Pochkun
  • Following the meeting, the general agro-economic memorandum was signed
  • The Roundtable “Single economic space of the EU, EEU and Ukraine: precondition for peace and prospects for business in the region” brought together leading employers of the EU, Ukraine and Russia
  • Aleksandr Shokhin, Rainer Lindner, Dmitry Firtash and Michael Glos
  • Delegates of the Forum: Dr. Ralf Wojtek, Hans Georg Hassenpflug, Oleksandr Pochkun, Gerlinde Sauer, Georg Schirmbeck, Dr. Theo W. Fry, Oleg Shevchuk, Thomas Otten and Dr. Christian Vipperman
  • Managing Partner of NIKA PP Consulting GmbH Karen Fisher, Rector of the Lugansk Taras Shevchenko National University Vitalii Kurylo, CEO of John Deere Igor Kutovoy, The FEU Vice-president Oleksiy Miroshnichenko, professor of applied farm management at the Weihenstephan-Trizdorf University of Applied Sciences Ralph Shlauderer and the Head of business development in CIS at SUEDZUCKER AG Dr. Aleksey Ugarov
  • Managing Partner of NIKA PP Consulting GmbH Karen Fisher, Rector of the Lugansk Taras Shevchenko National University Vitalii Kurylo, CEO of John Deere Igor Kutovoy, The FEU Vice-president Oleksiy Miroshnichenko, professor of applied farm management at the Weihenstephan-Trizdorf University of Applied Sciences Ralph Shlauderer and the Head of business development in CIS at SUEDZUCKER AG Dr. Aleksey Ugarov
  • The Chairman of the German-Ukrainian parliamentary group in the Bundestag Karl-Georg Wellmann, President of the Federation of Employers of Ukraine, Chairman of the Group DF Supervisory Council Dmitry Firtash, President of the German Forestry Council Georg Schirmbeck and emeritus professor at the European University Viadrina Gunter Verheugen
  • More than 100 participants from Germany, Austria, Ukraine and Russia, who discussed the creation of a common market from Lisbon to Vladivostok, agreed that integration of markets into a single trade area would restore trust between the countries

In his speech at the forum Ukraine tomorrow, John Whittingdale, a member of the British Parliament, said that British Prime Minister James Cameron had expressed his support for the initiative of the Agency for the Modernization of Ukraine establishing. “I spoke with the Prime Minister of Great Britain. He said that we can help, but the Ukrainians must fight corruption. We can send billions of dollars of aid, and we see quite effective leaders in the industry. Before we talk about money, we have to create a strategy. The challenge is of incredible magnitude, but we have the tools. I am glad that Ukrainian trade unions, and both employers and investors are represented in the initiative”, said John Whittingdale.
 
Bernard-Henri Levy, co-founder of the Agency for the Modernization of Ukraine, noted that French President Francois Hollande sees it as the “Marshall Plan of our time”. "President Hollande – French President said: I support you and give you the ability to unlock the potential”, said Bernard-Henri Levy during the presentation of the Agency. 
  • Roundtable “Ukraine in Europe: Peace and Development” was organized by the NGO “German-Ukrainian Forum”
  • Roundtable “Ukraine in Europe: Peace and Development” was held on October 1 in Vienna
  • More than 150 influential politicians and experts from Germany, Austria, Ukraine, Great Britain and France took part in the discussion of the ways out of the crisis
  • The Chairman of the NGO “German-Ukrainian Forum” Prof. Dr. Rainer Lindner and the President of the Federation of Employers of Ukraine Dmitry Firtash
  • Ukraine should become a bridge between the West and Russia, but not to be a launching ground, stressed the FEU President Dmitry Firtash
  • The Vienna Roundtable discussed possible solutions and developed a set of proposals towards settling the today's grave crisis and towards the situation stabilization
  • The President of Ukraine (2005-2010) Victor Yushchenko and the Member of the German Parliamen Peer Steinbrück took part in the discussion
  • More than 150 influential politicians and experts from Germany, Austria, Ukraine, Great Britain and France took part in the Roundtable
  • The President of Ukraine (2005-2010) Victor Yushchenko
  • The participants of the Forum are sure, that the conflict in the East and South of Ukraine may not be settled by military means
  • Marina Stavniichuk, the Advisor to the President of Ukraine – the Head of the Main Office for Constitutional and Legal Modernization Affairs
  • Vitali Klitschko, the Mayor of Kiev
  • More than 150 influential politicians and experts from Germany, Austria, Ukraine, Great Britain and France took part in the Roundtable
  • Dr. Jürgen Martens, Minister of Justice and for European Affairs of the German Federal State of Saxony, and John Whittingdale, Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Britain Ukraine Group
  • Prof. Dr. Georg Milbradt, the former Prime Minister of the German Federal State of Saxony (2002-2008)
  • The participants of the discussion elaborated the Memorandum for peaceful conflict resolution in Ukraine
  • The Vienna Roundtable discussed possible solutions and developed a set of proposals towards settling the today's grave crisis and towards the situation stabilization
  • The delegates of the Forum also stressed that Ukraine's successful economic advancement required cooperation between major economic regions – the EU and Russia
  • The participants of the Forum are sure, that the fire in Donbass must be ceased, and Russia must accept Ukraine's territorial integrity as suggested by the Ukrainian government
  • Anatoliy Girshfeld, People's Deputy of Ukraine, and Boris Krasnyansky, the CEO of Group DF
  • The conflict in Ukraine should be settled only by peaceful means, Russia must accept Ukraine's territorial integrity – this is one of the conclusions of the Vienna Roundtable for crisis resolution in Ukraine
  • Vitali Klitschko, the Mayor of Kiev, Lord Risby, the Chairman of the British Ukrainian Society, Victor Yushchenko, the President of Ukraine (2005-2010), Karl-Georg Wellmann, the Member of the German Parliament and Head of German-Ukrainian Parliamentary Group
  • Karl-Georg Wellmann, the Member of the German Parliament and Head of German-Ukrainian Parliamentary Group
  • Dmitry Firtash, the President of the Federation of Employers of Ukraine, took part in the first panel discussion “Peace in Ukraine as precondition for peace in Europe”
  • Bernard Henri-Levy, the French political journalist, philosopher  and publicist, appealed to the participants of the Forum
  • John Whittingdale, the Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Britain Ukraine Group
  • Vitali Klitschko, the Mayor of Kiev, articulated his vision of conflict resolution
  • Yuriy Boyko, the former Minister of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine (2010-2012), former Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine (2012-2014), addressed the Forum delegates
  • Dmitry Firtash is answering journalists’ questions