KYIV. Aug 30 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Famous Mexican architect Fernando Romero, a global investor and representative of the Romero-Slim family, believes that Ukraine is an interesting market for possible investment thanks to a large growth potential.
Romero told reporters in Kyiv on Tuesday that he is interested in airports, seaports, logistics and modern infrastructure projects.
The architect said that Ukraine has a lot of in common with Mexico – from a large gap between the rich and the poor to the proximity to larger and richer markets. However, its domestic market is also interesting, taking into account 40 million of population.
He said that among positive moments is the progress in the country seen in the past three years and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) Agreement with the EU.
Romero said that today is the right moment to invest in Ukraine and implement public private or concession projects.
At the invitation of his strategic adviser for investment in infrastructure and agro-industrial complex in developing countries and managing partner of Octagonal Corporation Ivan Ogilchyn, Romero visited Odesa and Kyiv, in particular, he got acquainted with port infrastructure and metropolitan airports, including Hostomel.
He also met with Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman.
“The implementation of large-scale infrastructure projects, the launching of landmark and modern architectural solutions in the development of our cities – this is all that strengthens and changes Ukraine, makes it recognizable and competitive in the modern world! I am convinced: Ukraine is interesting for investors. It has a great future in today’s globalized world. Fernando Romero supported me in this!” Groysman wrote on his Facebook page after the meeting.
In addition, the Mexican architect became the main speaker of Urban Talks devoted to the cities of the future and the driving forces of their development.
Romero, son-in-law of billionaire Carlos Slim, is the director of the international architectural firm FR-EE (Fernando Romero EnterprisE), founded by him, with offices in Mexico City and New York, and engaged in industrial design. Among the largest projects being implemented are a new international airport in Mexico City in cooperation with Foster and Partners and Netherlands Airport Consultants, ordered by the federal government with an area of 667,000 square meters. Construction was started in 2014 and will be completed in 2020. An estimated cost of the project is about $10 billion.
One of the most famous projects of Romero as an architect is Museo Soumaya in Mexico City.
KYIV. Aug 29 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Germany’s Leoni AG, which has a factory for production of cable networks for cars in Stryi (Lviv region), is planning to officially open the second plant in Ukraine in Kolomyia (Ivano-Frankivsk region) on September 29, plant director Ruslan Grem has told Interfax-Ukraine.
“President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko is invited to open the plant,” he said.
The plant will also specialize in production of cable networks for the leading auto brands, in particular for BMW cars. The volume of investments in the plant is EUR16 million.
The director of the plant said the first stage of production will be opened in autumn, while in future it is planned to open four lines increasing in the number of workers and the production area.
“The total area of the enterprise in Stryi, for example, is 64,000 square meters, while that in Kolomyia will amount to 35,000 square meters. Now the plant in Stryi employs more than 7,500 people, in Kolomyia it is planned to employ 1,000 people at the first stage, about 5,000 by 2020,” he said.
Leoni, founded in 1917, is the world’s leader in the field of electrical wiring systems and cable technologies. The company employs more than 82,000 people in 31 countries. In 2016 the company’s sales exceeded EUR4.4 billion.
KYIV. Aug 29 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Antonov state enterprise (Kyiv) in January-June 2017 saw net profit under Ukrainian accounting standards fall by 66.59% compared to the same period in 2016, to UAH 22.79 million.
According to the financial report on the website of the enterprise, its net income in the first half of the year increased by 37.7%, to UAH 2.223 billion.
According to the company, in January-March 2017 the net profit of Antonov was down by 69.9%, to UAH 24.01 million, net income increased by 30.84%, to UAH 1.17 billion.
Antonov state enterprise is the leading Ukrainian developer and manufacturer of aircraft, a recognized world leader in the niche of transport aircraft. The enterprise cooperates with more than 75 countries.
By the decision of the government, since April 2015 the enterprise has been part of Ukroboronprom state concern.
KYIV. Aug 29 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukraine and Poland are discussing a project in museum and cultural cooperation with the cost of EUR 1.7 million that could be implemented within cross-border cultural cooperation, the press service of Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze has reported.
During her working visit to Lviv Klympush-Tsintsadze met Chairman of Lviv Regional Council Oleksandr Hanuschyn, representatives of Lviv Regional Council and Lviv Regional Administration.
The interlocutors, in particular, discussed the possibility of creating a joint Ukrainian-Polish museum space within cross-border cultural cooperation. The project cost is EUR 1.742 million. With the European money support, this amount can be injected into preserving and promoting the joint Polish and Ukrainian cultural heritage, museum environment, a high-quality museum product and improving Ukrainian-Polish cultural communication,” the press service said.
In particular, the project provides for the restoration of the Korniakt Palace (Royal Kamienica or townhouse), the preparation for holding joint exhibitions, trainings and roundtables for museum workers in Lviv and Lublin, internships for restorers, and work on the strategy for development of cooperation between the museums of Lviv and Lublin.
The press service said that these measures are considered as part of the program of Poland-Belarus-Ukraine cross-border cooperation for 2014-2020. The total cost of the program is EUR 201.39 million, of which EUR 183 million are EU funds, which can be used to support projects.
