Business news from Ukraine

U.S. READY TO INVEST IN UKRAINIAN DEFENSE INDUSTRY ONLY AFTER REFORMS CONTINUE, CORRUPTION TACKLED – AMBASSADOR

19 February , 2016  

KYIV. Feb 19 (Interfax-Ukraine) – U.S. business will be able to invest and share solutions with the Ukrainian defense industry only if Ukraine continues to press ahead on critical reforms and tackles corruption, U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt has said.

At the Ukrainian Defense & Security Forum 2016 in Kyiv on Thursday he said that representative of U.S. defense companies are taking part in the forum.

“These companies will be good partners. They have the ability to bring to you best-in-the-world technology and their demonstrated expertise at integrating with other international partners. But they have requirements. They will want to see that the government sticks to the path of reform, that you uphold your IMF commitments, that the government continues to make progress on the critical topic of rule-of-law reform. And they want to ensure, most of all, that they are working in an environment where the risks that they are taking are business risks, and not risks of unpredictable legal and judicial environment,” he said.

“Private sector support and investment from the United States will only come as Ukraine continues to take meaningful steps to reform its trade and investment climate,” Pyatt said.

“The war against corruption Ukraine is fighting is a critical element of winning the war the Kremlin has brought to your country. I know that all of you in this room understand that, and I want you to understand also how committed the United States is to standing by the Ukrainian people in this difficult time, he said.