Despite daily shelling and attacks, foreign businesses are ready to invest in Ukraine. Moreover, a significant number of foreign-capital companies that operated here before the full-scale invasion have remained and are still operating.
“According to the National Bank of Ukraine, Western companies invested $4.25 billion in our economy in 2023. After the war ends, we can expect an investment boom. Foreign businesses will invest in the restoration and development of infrastructure, agriculture, energy facilities, arms production and more,” says Alona Lebedieva, owner of the Ukrainian diversified industrial and investment group of companies “Aurum Group”.
As an example, Ms. Lebedieva mentions Austria, which recently announced the creation of a special fund that plans to allocate up to 500 million euros over the next five years to support Austrian exports to Ukraine. They will primarily focus on supplying drinking water and heat, ensuring and restoring transport infrastructure, and promoting investment.
Alona Lebedieva is convinced that despite high risks, Ukraine attracts foreign capital with low competition, lower labor costs, expected high profits, and its candidate status for EU membership. However, besides the war, risks include corruption and an imperfect tax system. Efforts to address these obstacles are ongoing.
“We visited Brussels with a team of business organization leaders from Ukraine to promote our business interests. Specifically, we held a series of important meetings with representatives of DG Trade, DG Growth, DG Near, Employers EESC, and the European Investment Bank. Our mission is to establish a dialogue between Ukrainian and European businesses, facilitate investment in Ukraine, and open more opportunities for us in Europe. And, of course, to help Ukraine on its path to the EU,” says Lebedieva.
In conclusion, Alona Lebedieva noted that she is confident that such meetings will become regular and that the process of mutual integration and business support will help Ukraine endure during the war and rebuild afterward. The decision of the EU Council to approve Ukraine’s plan necessary for implementing the Ukraine Facility program, worth 50 billion euros, confirms this.