According to EastFruit analysts, Ukraine in the 2024/25 season continues to actively catch up with the world leaders in frozen raspberry exports, which remain Serbia and Poland. However, Poland is increasingly dependent on re-exports of products, mainly of Ukrainian origin, to hold on to its leadership position.
During the first three months of the season, from July to September inclusive, Ukraine exported more than 28 thousand tons of frozen raspberries and blackberries, which is a new record for this period. Exports thus increased by 36% compared to the same period last year and by 45% compared to 2022. It is noteworthy that the increase in exports comes against the backdrop of numerous reports from farmers about a lower raspberry crop in 2024.
“Although Poland remains the main market for frozen raspberries from Ukraine, its share in total exports continues to decline. Ukraine is gradually starting to enter with frozen raspberries directly into traditional markets for Poland, such as Germany and France. For example, this season the share of the German market in frozen raspberry exports from Ukraine already exceeds 20%,” says Andriy Yarmak, economist at FAO Investment Department.
Among the main markets for Ukrainian raspberries at the beginning of the season are also the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Austria, Belgium and Italy. Also in the new season, the first batches of Ukrainian frozen raspberries have already been shipped to such important and promising markets as the USA and Canada.
According to analysts, even Serbia, the world leader in raspberry exports, purchased a large batch of produce from Ukraine in September 2024, apparently for re-export.
Spanish authorities intend to regularize up to 300,000 migrants a year to make up for the country’s labor shortage due to an aging population, Spanish Social Security and Migration Minister Elma Sais said Tuesday.
“Spain has a choice between an open prosperous country or a closed poor country. We have chosen the second,” Western media quoted her as saying.
According to her, the policy involving migrants will last three years. She specified that Spain needs 250 – 300 thousand foreign workers a year, able to pay taxes, in order to preserve the welfare state.
The new measures of the authorities provides for simplification of procedures for issuing immigrants residence and work permits, which will contribute to the receipt of foreign workers guaranteed labor rights. In addition, newcomers seeking work will be able to extend their visa from three to 12 months. Foreigners with study visas will be allowed to work up to 30 hours per week.
The media notes that the economy of Spain – a country with a population of 48.9 million – is the fastest growing in the EU. This trend is also facilitated by the influx of skilled migrants from Latin American countries. Fitch Ratings Inc. estimates that more migrants will enter Spain in 2022 than in the entire previous decade at one time.
However, October opinion polls conducted by Spanish media showed that 57% of respondents believe the current level of migration into the country is too high. 54% believe that the real number of immigrants is higher than the authorities declare.
On November 15, 2024, the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency hosted a press conference on “Social Responsibility Practices in Time of War” dedicated to the specifics of Ukrainian business during the war period. The event brought together representatives of leading companies and experts who shared their own cases, innovative practices and visions of the future.
Olena Plakhova, Director of Reputation Management and Marketing at Nova Poshta, emphasized that business in Ukraine is now performing much more than traditional functions and often takes on some of the responsibilities of the state.
“This happens not because of coercion, but because businesses realize their responsibility to society. It is important to rethink the social contract – we not only expect help from the state, but also actively engage in solving urgent problems. For example, the Humanitarian Mail of Ukraine program, which started in 2014, now supports more than 2,000 recipient foundations by providing free delivery of humanitarian aid,” she said.
“Not only did we quickly organize our work, but we also supported local communities and supplied military checkpoints. Our warehouse in Makariv was destroyed, but we found the resources to resume the supply of medicines. It was a unique experience when we had to negotiate logistics corridors and make decisions quickly. In the future, it is important for us to help the victims and participate in the restoration of medical infrastructure, as this is a key part of our mission,” said Yevheniia Piddubna, Corporate Communications Director, Farmak JSC.
In his turn, Oleksandr Sosis, beneficiary of Alliance Bank, noted that the war has changed the emphasis of the company’s social responsibility.
“Previously, our programs were mainly related to employee support, but now the focus has shifted to external initiatives. One example is our Good Deeds Forum, which has become a platform for supporting volunteers. Many of them have become leaders of public initiatives that are now working even more effectively than some government agencies,” he emphasized.
Sergiy Shevchenko, KSG Agro’s press service representative, spoke about the agricultural holding’s activities in the frontline region.
“We have adapted our operations to the war conditions, increased salaries for our employees and strengthened security at our facilities. One of the key areas was ensuring food safety: we increased the number of pigs at our complex in Kherson region from 500 to 20 thousand. This is an important contribution to the stability of the region and support for local communities,” said the farmer.
Maksym Urakin, Director of Development and Marketing at Interfax-Ukraine and founder of the Experts Club think tank, emphasized the importance of helping civilians and creating communication projects in times of war.
“Our project “Find Your Loved Ones” has become a lifesaver for many civilians who have lost contact with their families due to the war. We have combined the efforts of the media and volunteers to search for missing people and have achieved significant results. We also help volunteer initiatives by organizing press conferences, providing information support and supplying mobile hospitals for civilians,” he said.
According to the expert, the Ukrainian economy is showing significant growth despite the challenges.
“In the first nine months of 2024, Ukraine’s GDP grew by 4.5% year-on-year. The results of the metallurgical sector are particularly impressive, as it increased production of steel and rolled products by 22-28% during this period. The agricultural sector also showed a significant increase due to the early harvest of late crops,” said Maxim Urakin.
According to him, Ukrainian business continues to adapt to the war by moving production to safer regions or even abroad.
“Medium-sized businesses are forced to actively migrate across Ukraine and integrate into the European economy – more than 200 companies have opened production facilities in the EU,” Urakin added.
But there are also negative trends. The expert emphasized the need to improve trust in government institutions, as according to an April survey by Active Group and Experts Club, 57% of citizens do not trust government agencies, and 62% do not trust law enforcement agencies.
The event also featured the presentation of the book Unbreakable Business by Oleksandr Holizdra and Serhiy Shevchenko, which tells unique stories about the resilience of Ukrainian companies during the war period. The publication has become a symbol of the entrepreneurial spirit that inspires us to move towards victory.
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Ukraine and Colombia have a good space for cooperation and cultural exchanges to develop educational programs and protect the rights of indigenous peoples, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
“Ukraine and Colombia have a good space for cooperation and cultural exchanges. And these are projects to preserve cultural heritage, protect the rights of indigenous peoples, develop educational programs and ideas of cultural tolerance,” Zelensky said while communicating with students and teachers of higher education institutions in Colombia.
“Together with Colombia, we want to show that diversity makes us stronger, that the uniqueness of each nation is our common treasure worth preserving and defending in order to restore justice and lasting peace,” the president said.
He added that Colombia, as one of the most multicultural countries in Latin America, is an example of the ability to defend its culture and diversity.
Ukraine also has a multicultural heritage, with “more than a hundred different nationalities and indigenous peoples, including Crimean Tatars.” However, now in the occupied territories “they face numerous persecutions by Russia, arrests, imprisonment, captivity, regular restrictions of rights.”
In addition, in Crimea and the rest of Ukraine, Russia is destroying not only physical objects, but also the foundations of culture and identity.
The VI International TyphloForum “Development, Education and Rehabilitation of People with Visual Impairments: Current Challenges and Innovations” is an event that will bring together representatives of educational and rehabilitation centers, scientists, typhlopedagogues, specialists of special educational institutions, rehabilitation specialists, NGOs, charitable foundations and everyone who works with children and adults with visual impairments.
It is a platform for discussing current needs, sharing experiences and innovative tools for the rehabilitation, adaptation and socialization of adults and children, military and civilians who have lost their sight as a result of military operations in Ukraine.
November 12, 2024
Location: Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture
Address: 31, Air Force Avenue, Kyiv, Ukraine
Forum program:
Training, rehabilitation, adaptation of military personnel who have suffered visual impairment as a result of hostilities.
Psychological and pedagogical support and assistance for children with visual impairments and their parents.
Assistive technologies and innovations for people with visual impairments.
Leisure and employment of visually impaired people in Ukraine: problems and prospects.
November 13, 2024
Location: Educational and rehabilitation center “Trinity Hub”
Address: 25 Kyoto Street, Kyiv, Ukraine
Forum program:
Activation of opportunities: challenges and innovations in the education and rehabilitation of people with visual impairments in Ukraine and the world.
Innovative approaches to working with children with visual impairments.
Educational strategies for children with visual impairments in the context of today’s challenges.
Strategic directions of development of the NGO “Association of Typhlopedagogues of Ukraine”.
Round table “Experience and innovations in the rehabilitation of people with visual impairments”:
Discussion of the experience of problems, achievements and innovations in the rehabilitation of civilians and military with visual impairment;
presentation of didactic tools in this area;
Presentation of the “Primer for Adults” project – a book and didactic material in a universal design that combines Braille and flat-printed enlarged font.
Forum organizers: Association of Action Psychologists of Ukraine; Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture; Trinity Hub Educational and Rehabilitation Center; International Charitable Foundation “Health of the Future”.
Partners:
Ukrainian Association of Typhlopedagogues of Ukraine
Faculty of Special and Inclusive Education of the Mykhailo Drahomanov Ukrainian State University
Department of Psychology of the Educational and Research Institute of Law and Psychology of the National Academy of Internal Affairs of Ukraine
Veteran Cluster of Ukraine
Institute of Reintegration, Rehabilitation and Professional Development of Veterans “Architecture of Resilience” of KNUBA
Application for participation – https://docs.google.com/file/d/1VxgTpCWsaVwrA_8fuquQtr5UmE7Q69f4/edit?usp=docslist_api&filetype=msword
Charitable contribution from participants
Expo zone with innovative products
Collection of abstracts and reports
Organizing committee: 066 252 82 77 Antony
On November 7, the 10th Kyiv International Economic Forum was held in Kyiv. The main theme of the Forum was “The Power of Challenge. What will shape the future of Ukraine and the world?”.
This year’s event was attended by over 1000 guests. More than 100 speakers took part in 16 panel discussions: entrepreneurs, top managers, representatives of international organizations, analysts, and government officials. They shared their vision of Ukraine’s role in the global economy, attracting investment in the face of ongoing armed aggression, developing defense technologies, and the future of the energy system.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the Forum. In his video address, he said that business would be involved in the economic part of the internal victory plan.
“We have invited businesses to join the development of the internal plan of economic direction. First Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko is leading this work. And the strategic vision of entrepreneurs will be taken into account. Just as one of our key geopolitical needs will be in Europe. This is the foundation,” the President said.
The Kyiv International Economic Forum was opened by Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal. He shared his vision of the future prospects and challenges of the present. In his speech, he spoke about the economy, financial stability, energy, logistics, booking and business support. The Prime Minister noted that the country will have the funds to finance the army and all priority budget expenditures.
“For 2025, we have an absolute understanding of how we will close the budget deficit. We are continuing the Ukraine Facility program with the International Monetary Fund and the European Union. The $50 billion (note: confiscated Russian assets) that we will receive from the G7 countries and the European Union will be our reserve, our airbag for the next year and even the years after that. This is what we agreed with the IMF and our partners. This means that we will not resort to emission financing of the budget,” the Prime Minister emphasized.
The first discussion panel “The Common Future of Ukraine and Europe” was attended by Yulia Svyrydenko, First Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Ukraine, Mykhailo Fedorov, Vice Prime Minister for Innovation, Education, Science and Technology, Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, Vyacheslavs Dombrovskis, Minister of Economy and Energy of Latvia (2014), Vyacheslavs Dombrovskis, Minister of Education and Science of Latvia (2013-2014) and John Denton, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).
“Ukraine’s integration into the EU will create added value not only for Ukraine but also for Europe. We have deposits of critical materials that the EU lacks and a growing defense industry. We have the potential and ambition to replace part of the EU’s imports with goods produced in Ukraine, strengthening European strategic autonomy. To this end, we are implementing a number of policies, including the Made in Ukraine program, to stimulate production, attract investment in the real sector and strengthen non-resource exports,” said Yulia Svyrydenko.
During the discussion, Mykhailo Fedorov, Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, noted the rapid development of defense technologies.
“We are now seeing how technologies are developing during a full-scale war. Let’s take defense tech: at the beginning, we had 7 companies that created drones, and now there are 500 of them. And we see their number growing every week. But they do not appear by themselves, their appearance depends on incentives, on conditions,” said Mikhail Fedorov.
“The jubilee KIEF has demonstrated that we are able to cope with our challenge of bringing together different groups for the development of Ukraine. The KIEF is a platform that brings business, government and the civil sector together to develop ideas. This year’s discussions were heated, often emotional, but highly productive. We already have a vision of the key areas of work and approaches to them. I have a great hope that they will be implemented, and next year we will gather at the same venue and discuss the results,” said Yuriy Pyvovarov, CEO of the Kyiv International Economic Forum.
During one of the discussion panels, KIEF initiator and founder of the UFuture holding company Vasyl Khmelnytsky noted that the country’s success lies primarily in the unification of government and business.
“For us to catch up with Poland or China quickly, we need to unite business and government. I know that not everyone likes this idea, but if we need to build 10,000 factories or enterprises, it is impossible without cooperation with the government. The challenge is very big – the government and business must work as a team. We need more entrepreneurs, we need to teach entrepreneurship in schools. If we want to make an economic breakthrough, the government must develop education and create attractive conditions for business and investors,” summarized Vasyl Khmelnytsky.
Vasyl Khmelnytsky also emphasized the importance of making decisions in difficult situations: “If a business has no economy, sell it, even at a loss, and move forward. I had LvivTech.City, a very good project. But two years after the war started, I sold it at a loss, covered the loans, invested in UNIT.City, and continue to develop.”
This year, KIEF has raised UAH 1.1 million to help the Armed Forces and psychological rehabilitation of children. The funds will go to the 10th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade “Edelweiss”, which is fighting the aggressor in the East, and the NGO Gen.Ukrainian, which provides psychological rehabilitation for children in Gen.Camp camps.
The Kyiv International Economic Forum is one of the largest
international forums that brings together representatives of business, government and society to
to discuss key economic issues and global trends.
Recordings of the forum’s discussion panels are available on the KIEF YouTube channel.
Download photos from the event here.
Interfax-Ukraine is a long-term media partner of the Forum.
Title partners: UFuture, Mastercard, Nova Poshta, AEQUO, Germany, Naftogaz Group
Partners: Biopharma, Interpipe, FUIB, MHP, Epicenter, PrivatBank, Lamel,
Ajax Systems, Biosphere Corporation, Sense Bank, Kernel, Vodafone, OKKO, Metinvest
Program partners: ACC (American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine), Center for
Center for Social Change and Behavioral Economics, GLOBSEC
Business expert: Forbes Ukraine
Title media partners: Starlight Media, 1+1 media
Media partners: New Voice, LIGA.net, Interfax-Ukraine, TAVR Media, RBC-Ukraine, Kyiv Post, Mind.ua, Delo.ua, The Kyiv Independent, Huxley, Tvoje Misto
