First Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Economy Yulia Sviridenko, following a visit to Argentina and Chile this week, noted the presence of joint interest in investments and reported on the prospect of concluding bilateral free trade agreements.
“We know that there is already interest of companies from pharmaceutical, agro-sectors, processing industry, which want to deepen cooperation with Ukraine. The free trade agreement with Argentina, which we are currently working on, can also contribute to this. Cooperation with Argentina is reaching a qualitatively new level,” Sviridenko was quoted as saying in the press release of the Ministry of Economy on Thursday.
As First Deputy Prime Minister pointed out in social network X following a meeting with Argentine Economy Minister Luis Caputo, the countries have a lot in common: from economic structures to approaches to the organization of management. According to her, the parties agreed to hold a meeting of the Joint Ukrainian-Argentine intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation in October this year. The last time it was held 18 years ago. In addition, the possibility of holding a Ukrainian-Argentine business forum is being considered, the Ministry said in a release.
“This country is the leader of the strategically important for us region of Latin America, so strengthening the presence of Ukraine on the agenda – a contribution both to the development of business ties and security projects” – summarized Sviridenko.
She recalled that Argentina has allocated 16 packages of humanitarian aid to Ukraine for $600 thousand, and at the moment up to half a million Ukrainians live in the country.
In addition, representatives of the Ministry of Economy met with the Argentine Chamber of Commerce and Services (CAC) and the Argentine-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CAUCI) and invited business and government representatives to participate in the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC-2024), which will be held June 11-12 in Berlin.
“(…) On the agenda – the First Global Peace Summit initiated by President Vladimir Zelensky, strengthening business ties, deepening cooperation in the defense sector, support for the Ukrainian energy system against the background of Russia’s systemic shelling of our energy capacities,” – accentuated First Deputy Prime Minister.
It is indicated that the Ukrainian side also invited the leaders of Argentina to join the Global Peace Summit and become a co-leader of the working group on one of the items of the Peace Formula.
After Argentina, the Ukrainian delegation, which also includes the Minister for Strategic Industries Oleksandr Kamyshyn, Deputy Minister of Economy Oleksiy Sobolev, Ukrainian Trade Representative Taras Kachka, Deputy Minister of Defense Dmytro Klymenkov, and representative of the Commissioner for Equal Rights and Freedoms of Rights of National Minorities of Political and Religious Views Mikhail Spasov, went to Chile.
“The first visit of a high-ranking Ukrainian delegation to Chile in 19 years,” Sviridenko emphasized on social network X. She also invited Chilean business and government representatives to the URC-2024 in Berlin, promising them very concrete projects from partners.
“We have a lot in common with Chile, especially in mining and critical materials. We hope to deepen cooperation in this area. We also discussed the issue of logistics. The next step of our cooperation is to deepen the dialog at the level of chambers of commerce and industry of our countries,” First Deputy Prime Minister said.
At a meeting with Chilean Economy Minister Niko Grau, Sviridenko said that both sides are interested in sharing experience in attracting investments, pointing out that there is already an example of a Ukrainian company that has invested in Chile.
“The areas where we see the greatest potential for growth are mining, especially in terms of critical materials, agribusiness and digitalization. Also, Chile has a rich experience in developing public-private partnerships and is ready to share it,” the First Deputy Prime Minister pointed out.
At a meeting with Chilean Foreign Minister Alberto Claveren, Sviridenko invited Chilean leaders to join the first Global Peace Summit, in particular, to lead the fourth point of the peace formula concerning the return of Ukrainian children illegally deported by Russia. She thanked Chilean President Gabriel Borich, who expressed his willingness to join the Summit.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed Yuriy Dyudin as Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of Chile.
The relevant decree was published on the President’s website on October 27.
In addition, the President dismissed Serhiy Shutenko from the post of Ambassador of Ukraine to Greece and Yevhen Tsymbalyuk from the post of Permanent Representative of Ukraine to International Organizations in Vienna.
The decrees were signed on October 27.
Ukraine is interested in resuming a dialogue on trade and economic relations with Chile, Deputy Minister of Economy – Trade Representative of Ukraine Taras Kachka said during an online meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister of Chile – Director of Bilateral Economic Affairs (at the General Directorate of International Economic Relations, DIRECON) Felipe Lopeandia.
“We are interested in expanding the presence of Chilean companies in the Ukrainian market and strengthening Ukrainian-Chilean business ties,” Kachka said.
According to the ministry, Chile is included in the list of the ten most promising countries for Ukraine for the development of trade relations.
“For the six months of this year, trade in goods and services between Ukraine and Chile grew by 7.9%, to $ 33.1 million, Ukrainian exports doubled to $ 5.3 million,” the ministry said.
According to Taras Kachka, the countries need to improve the balance of bilateral trade, diversify trade spheres and start joint investment projects.
According to the report, promising for Ukraine and Chile is the development of bilateral relations in the field of agro-industrial complex, energy, mechanical engineering, aircraft building, shipbuilding, as well as space, mining, pharmaceutical and transport industries.
Kormotech LLC (Lviv region), a Ukrainian producer of cat and dog food, plans to expand the number of countries to export its products in South America and enter Hungary, Lebanon, Libya and the Czech Republic with own brands, the company’s press service has reported. According to the company’s press release, Kormotech is now delivering private label products to Chile in cooperation with Chilean distributor Anasac Ambiental. “Anasac Ambiental works throughout Latin America. In the future, we plan to increase the number of export countries. Therefore, we hope to cooperate with a Chilean partner in other countries of South America not only in private label, but also with Kormotech brands,” the press service reported, citing Production Director Ihor Paraniak.
As the company told Interfax-Ukraine, the company sent the first shipment to Chile in November 2018, its volume was 43 tonnes of wet food for cats. The sales in the new export countries are planned under private label, as well as Optimeal and Club 4 Paws trademarks.
In addition, the company plans to export products under its own brands to Hungary, Lebanon, Libya and the Czech Republic.
At the same time, Director and co-founder of the company Rostyslav Vovk said in an interview with Global FDI Reports that Kormotech is considering the acquisition of other pet food companies.
“We are building a new plant in Lithuania. And in the future – not next year, but soon – we are considering some acquisitions… In the near future, I think we will find companies that we can buy,” he said.
He also said that at the moment the strategic export directions for Kormotech are Poland, Romania and the Baltic countries, where the company has its own sales departments.
According to the results of 2018, Kormotech increased sales to 37,000 tonnes (a rise of 19%), exports amounted to 12.5%. By 2023, the company plans to increase the share of export sales to 50%.
In 2018, Kormotech increased the annual capacity of wet food production to 16,000 tonnes, and in 2019 plans to launch a wet feed factory in Lithuania with a capacity of 5,000 tonnes per year.
In addition, in 2020, Kormotech wants to increase the production of dry food at its production facilities in Ukraine to 46,000 tonnes (now – about 30,000 tonnes).
In 2019, the company plans the first private label shipments to the U.K. and Finland, as well as to go to U.S. retail chains (now products are sold through Amazon in this country).
Kormotech exports products to about 20 countries, including France, Estonia, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Poland. The facilities of the company include two plants for the manufacture of dry and wet pet food. The company produces products for cats and dogs under its own brands Optimeal, Club 4 paws (Meow! and Woof! trademarks) and in private label.
The ultimate beneficiaries of Kormotech are Olena and Rostyslav Vovk.
