The Director-General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Amy Pope, said that Ukraine needs a plan to attract migrants to the country, even if a significant number of Ukrainian refugees return, she said at the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2025) in Rome, Italy.
“Ukraine needs a plan to attract migrants to the country.
Because even if we successfully convince Ukrainians to return home, I think we will still need millions of workers to rebuild Ukraine.
We need to provide legal and safe routes for migration into the country,” Pope said.
The Aurora Group opened its first Aurora store in Bucharest on Friday, July 11. This store is the 50th in Romania, according to the company’s press service, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine.
“Our business model, which combines a wide range of products, high-quality service, and affordable prices, has proven popular with both Ukrainian and European consumers. The opening in Bucharest is a testament to our customers’ trust and a significant step toward conquering the European market. We are proud to represent Ukrainian quality abroad and open up new opportunities for Ukrainian manufacturers on the international stage,” commented Taras Panasenko, co-owner of the Aurora group of companies.
The new Aurora store (Bucuresti, Calea Cringasi nr.29 sector 6) has a total area of 200 square meters and offers a compact store format with a wide range of products, where you can buy everything you need for your daily needs. For comfortable shopping, price checkers are located in the sales area for quick price verification by customers.
The press service noted that Aurora is successfully competing in the Romanian market, with a local customer loyalty index (NPS) even higher than in Ukraine—approximately 80 versus 60.
As reported, the first Aurora store in Romania opened in October 2023 in Suceava, marking the beginning of the company’s international expansion.
In 2024, a distribution center was opened in Bacău, which optimized logistics.
The expansion of the Aurora group of companies in Romania opens up new opportunities for both local and Ukrainian manufacturers. Today, more than 27 Ukrainian companies already export their products for sale in Aurora stores in Romania.
This is not only a stimulus for the growth of Ukrainian exports, but also a bridge to the international market for small and medium-sized businesses from Ukraine. Aurora is a national company with direct foreign investment from the Horizon Capital Fund, founded in 2011 by Lev Zhydenko,
Taras Panasenko, and Lesya Klymenko, with its head office located in Poltava. As of July 2025, the chain has more than 1,700 Aurora stores in Ukraine and 50 Aurora stores in Romania.
NovaSklo plans to start construction of a float glass plant in the Kyiv region in March 2026.
As NovaSklo CEO and founder of investment company EFI Group Igor Lisky told Interfax-Ukraine on the sidelines of the URC-2025 recovery conference, investments in the project amount to more than €240 million.
The project is being implemented with the support of UkraineInvest and the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine.
The project includes, in particular, the construction of a plant with a capacity of 24.8 million m2 of glass per year. The enterprise will reduce dependence on imports of flat glass and will produce products for export.
Liski noted that the project could pay for itself in 6-7 years.
He said that a memorandum had been signed on the sidelines of the conference between NovaSklo and three leading European equipment manufacturers – Horn Glass Industries AG (Germany), Zippe Industrieanlagen GmbH (Germany) and Bottero S.p.A. (Italy), which will be the main suppliers of technology and equipment.
According to Liska, NovaSklo has already secured a plot of land for production and purchased a license for sand extraction.
Commenting on the risks associated with the construction of an industrial facility in Ukraine, Liska noted that “this is an important symbolic project because it is a symbol of Ukraine’s recovery.”
“Broken glass and broken windows are always a symbol of decline and war. A new plant that produces high-quality glass is a symbol that we, Ukrainians, have a future, and we will rebuild Ukraine with the best glass and the best technology. We must do everything in our power to ensure that Ukraine has a different future,” he said.
Liski noted that the project is finalizing the signing of contracts with financial institutions for lending.
“This is a good margin project because all glass is currently imported, which involves high transportation costs. This project is efficient and has good margins. We think that the payback period will be 6-7 years,” he said.
Experts predict coffee prices to rise by up to 40% in 2025. The main reasons cited are drought in Brazil and abnormal rains in Vietnam, the largest coffee-producing countries, according to the FAO and the International Coffee Organization.
In 2024, the price of Arabica rose by 69%, reaching record levels and exceeding $4.30 per pound on the ICE exchange in early 2025. Drought in Brazil led to a 10-11% drop in harvest, causing a shortage, while in Vietnam, the harvest fell by 10-20% due to droughts and heavy rains. The International Coffee Organization warns that market stabilization should not be expected until 2026-2028.
Retail coffee prices are expected to rise by 10-20%, leading to higher prices in cafes and retail packaging. This will increase inflationary pressure, as rising coffee prices complement rising food prices. Experts note that producers will have to invest in drought-resistant varieties and new irrigation systems. There is also an increase in costs in the supply chain, including higher prices for fertilizers, logistics, and credit resources.
According to the FAO, global coffee production in 2023 amounted to about 11 million tons, of which Brazil accounted for 31%, Vietnam for 18%, and Indonesia for about 7%. Global coffee consumption is growing by about 2% annually and is estimated at 177 million bags per year.
According to open data, the leaders in per capita coffee consumption are Finland (about 12-13 kg per year), Norway (about 10 kg), Iceland (9.8 kg), Denmark (8.7 kg), the Netherlands (8.4 kg), Sweden (8.2 kg), Switzerland (7.9 kg), Belgium (6.8 kg), Luxembourg (6.5 kg), and Canada (6.5 kg).
Rising coffee prices in 2025 could pose a serious challenge for both producers and consumers, and will increase interest in sustainable production and expansion of supply in order to stabilize the market in the face of a changing climate.
Supporting Ukraine is in Germany’s interests and in the interests of the common future of the countries, Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz said as he took part in the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome (URC2025).
“We stand firmly on the side of Ukrainians. We also support them in our own interests: for the sake of our common political order of freedom in Europe, freedom of markets, economic growth and our energy security. Germany’s future is closely linked to Ukraine,” Merz wrote on social media platform X on Thursday.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Commission are launching the Ukraine Facility for Infrastructure Reconstruction (Ukraine FIRST) with EUR 30 million in funding to help prepare public investment projects for the reconstruction of infrastructure in Ukraine.
“The new program will cover the preparation of public investment projects in Ukraine, providing technical assistance, including feasibility studies, environmental assessments, cost estimates, and procurement plans,” the EBRD press release said.
It is noted that in addition to initial financing, additional funds are also planned to be provided by EU countries, in particular the Netherlands and Italy.
The program consists of two components. One, managed by the EBRD, will pool donor contributions and provide grants from international financial institutions to support project preparation.
The second, under the leadership of the EIB, will provide expert advisory services: feasibility studies, technical designs, and procurement plans. They will cooperate with the project preparation department of the Ukrainian government.
The pilot project of the program will be a EUR160 million loan to the state-owned Ukrnafta for the development of distributed generation and the installation of 250 MW of capacity.
Another project will be technical support from the EIB in partnership with the World Bank and, possibly, the EBRD, to prepare investments in the reconstruction and modernization of the M-15 Odessa-Remy highway, according to the statement.
The Ukraine FIRST program was presented by partners at the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025 (URC) in Rome. It is part of the Framework for Project Preparation initiative developed by the Ukrainian government and international partners last year.
