First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko and Federal Minister of Labor and Economy of Austria Martin Kocher signed a framework agreement between the governments of the two countries on economic cooperation in the development of projects.
According to the press service of the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine on Sunday, the signing of the agreement took place on Sunday, September 4, in Krakow during Yulia Svyrydenko’s visit to Poland.
“We hope that the economic cooperation agreement signed today will allow us to launch a number of important projects, in particular, in the healthcare sector. Among the priorities are the construction and equipping of the Okhmatdyt National Children’s Specialized Hospital and a modern university clinic in Kyiv, as well as the creation of the National Rehabilitation Center in Lviv. The estimated cost of these projects will be more than EUR 500 million,” Svyrydenko said.
According to her, for the implementation of these projects, concessional long-term financing will be attracted under the guarantees of European export credit agencies. It is expected that the effective rate of attraction of funds will not exceed 3% per annum, and the borrowing period will be up to 14 years. Such concessional targeted financing of socially significant projects is a good alternative and addition to more expensive and short-term obligations, usually borrowed to replenish the working capital of the state budget.
According to the agreement on economic cooperation in the development of projects, the governments of Ukraine and Austria agreed to promote the development of modern social and educational infrastructure, in particular, a network of modern medical and vocational educational institutions, to promote the development of the medical insurance market in Ukraine, and to intensify bilateral economic relations in the field of investments, innovations and implementation of economic projects, especially in the field of medical technologies and healthcare institutions.
Svyrydenko also expressed her gratitude to the Austrian partners for financial and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and for the initiative of Austria to take patronage in the restoration of Zaporizhia region.
