23 June 2011 Council of Investors Under The President of Ukraine

Dmitry Firtash Takes Part In Meeting Of Council Of Domestic And Foreign Investors Under The President Of Ukraine

The Council of Domestic and Foreign Investors Under the President of Ukraine has held its first meeting in Kiev.
 
The meeting was attended by more than 20 businesspeople including Mr. Dmitry Firtash, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Group DF, and Mr. Rinat Akhmetov, founder and owner of System Capital Management. Also, attending the meeting were Mr. German Gref, Chairman of the Board, Sberbank of Russia; Mr. Vadim Novinsky, Chairman of Supervisory Board, Smart-Holding; Mr. Thomas Mirov, President, EBRD; Mr. Lakshmi Mittal, Chairman of the Board, ArcelorMittal; as well representatives of Lukoil, Microsoft and Japan Bank of Reconstruction and Development.
 
President of Ukraine Victor Yanukovich encouraged investors to invest into the future. He said that the government of Ukraine counts on the national and international businesses involvement in pursuing reforms in Ukraine. “It is very important for me to feel that the barometer which is represented by business will give us a clear understanding of whether or not the wind blows in the right direction. Is the partnership mutually advantageous or isn’t it? Or should we work towards further improvements?” said the President. Among other things, President Yanukovich asked the meeting participants whether they regarded Ukrainian conditions for attracting investments as favorable. “What do you think is the weather in Ukraine? Does it motivate to do business, does it ignite the emotions that would encourage you to invest in Ukraine?” asked the President.
 
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Mr. Dmitry Firtash, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Group DF, put an emphasis on the imperativeness of furthering the private-public partnership. Commenting on the adjourned meeting, Mr. Firtash pointed out: “It is for the first time in the history of Ukraine that a platform for a dialog between business and government has appeared. Previously, we would only be summoned to answer the question about where the taxes are.”
 
According to Mr. Firtash, often times the corporate world and the government find each other in a face-off on different sides of the barricades. In this connection, the President meeting with investors sends a very positive message for the economy. “It must be a two-way traffic. We need a public-private partnership and we must build it up,” stressed Mr. Firtash.
 
The Council of Domestic and Foreign Investors Under the President of Ukraine will sit on an annual basis, pledged the President’s Administration while drawing conclusions of the event.