REUTERS
The EBRD is playing the role of a catalyst, encouraging investors by its presence in Ukraine.
Vice President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Alain Pilloux says the EBRD has invested more than US$1 billion in Ukraine since the beginning of 2019, and it plans to maintain the same amount of investment annually.
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This week, the bank's investment in the country in 2019 has achieved the $1 billion milestone, he told journalist on September 19.
The EBRD is going to invest even more before the end of the year, although it is only the middle of September, he said.
This is the highest amount over a rather long period of time. Investment in the private sector accounted for about 56%, while that in the public sector for 44%, he added.
The official says the EBRD is not willing to limit itself to one year since it is important to maintain the same level of investment for many years. Ukraine will need many years of rapid growth rather than a year or two to catch up with other countries, he said.
According to Pilloux, Ukraine's most appealing sectors for investment are the agricultural sector, green energy, in particular, solar power plants and wind farms, as well as the space industry.
At the same time, he says foreign investors are afraid of entering Ukraine, but the EBRD is playing the role of a catalyst, encouraging investors by its presence in Ukraine.
UNIAN memo. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, founded in 1991 by 40 countries and two international organizations, is the largest international financial investor in Ukraine. As of September 2019, the total amount of funds allocated by the EBRD for Ukraine under 433 projects in the state and municipal sectors was about EUR 13.57 billion.