REUTERS
There were positive developments in Ukraine as early as in 2015-2017, he said.
CEO of IKEA Southeast Europe Stefan Vanoverbeke says Ukraine is moving in the right direction, that is why the Swedish-founded furniture giant IKEA Group headquartered in Delft (the Netherlands) has decided to enter the Ukrainian market right now.
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"There are several elements that we pay attention to. First, Ukraine is an important country for Europe. Some 40 million people live here. This is a big market. Secondly, we know that your economy has faced certain challenges. But already in 2015-2017, there were positive developments. And we consider them to be stable. Why? A lot of reforms are being implemented here, and they are moving in the right direction," Vanoverbeke told the Novoe Vremya news outlet.
In his opinion, the signing of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement is also advantageous, following which the country, in the process of changing legislation, brings it into line with European standards.
"I also cannot but note very strong aspirations for transparency. If we talk about macroeconomic indicators, then they are positive. I am now talking about GDP growth, issues related to currency, and about reducing inflation. There are also new sectors in the economy. For example, IT is developing very dynamically. And this is the future and a very exciting moment. For too long, Ukraine has been engaged in heavy industry and agriculture. Now you are seeing a new era," he added.
UNIAN memo. IKEA is one of the world's largest retail chains and sells ready-to-assemble furniture, kitchen appliances, and home accessories. It was established in Sweden in 1943. There are several companies operating under the IKEA brand with different owners.
The IKEA Group includes manufacturing companies, store distributions sites, pick-up and order points, as well as 315 retail outlets in 27 countries. In total, the IKEA Group operates in 42 countries.