News
2009/10/15
Over two hundred international experts on Ukraine gathered in Washington, D.C. and Kyiv on October 15th, 2009, to evaluate the country's progress in recovering from the recent global liquidity crisis.
The event was hosted by the U.S.-Ukraine Business Council (USUBC) and sponsored by SigmaBleyzer and The Bleyzer Foundation.
The first annual International Forum on the Economic Development of Ukraine (www.edfukraine.com) concluded that while there are signs of an economic recovery in Ukraine, conditions will remain challenging in the near future.
The forum was the largest event organized in the U.S. on the economic development of Ukraine since Ukraine gained independence. The list of over 200 participants included representatives of leading global companies, international financial institutions, members of the Congress, U.S. Department of State, U.S. treasury, leading non-governmental research organizations working in international economic development, and the Ukrainian Trade and Investment Delegation of business and government officials to the U.S.
With one of the largest gatherings of Ukraine and regional experts on hand, economic, political and business leaders in both Ukraine and the U.S. conferred over a video teleconference to discuss the financial crisis in Ukraine and the government response.
Also present for the discussion in Washington were Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Hryhoriy Nemyria and Minister of Economy Bohdan Danylyshyn, along
with a 50-person strong Ukrainian Trade and Investment Delegation of business and government officials to the U.S. On the Kyiv side, leading
international financial and development officials from the IMF, EBRD, EC, the World Bank and others engaged in a meaningful dialogue on steps needed
to move forward beyond the crisis.
According to Dr. Edilberto Segura, Chairman of the Board of The Bleyzer Foundation, the longer term economic outlook for Ukraine is still bright,
but significant improvements in the business environment are needed to promote investments as the new source of economic growth.
The forum also included a TV link between Washington D.C. and Kyiv. The forum will be held annually.
LINKS:
Video links:
Opening Remarks by Morgan Williams and Michael Bleyzer (10:31):
http://www.site-test-view.com/Files/OpeningRemarks.mov
Hryhoriy Nemyria Keynote (35:08):
http://www.site-test-view.com/Files/HNKeynote.mov
William Taylor Keynote (9:18):
http://www.site-test-view.com/Files/TaylorKeynote.mov
Live Link between Kyiv and Washington DC (1:21:16):
http://www.site-test-view.com/Files/tvlink.mov
http://www.edfukraine.com
http://www.usubc.org
http://www.bleyzerfoundation.org
REUTERS LINK: http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS117873+19-Oct-2009+PRN20091019.
PR LINK: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/early-signs-of-economic-recovery-in-ukraine-but-conditions-remain-challenging-64730122.html.
FOOTNOTE: FORUM SPEAKERS, PANELISTS AND MODERATORS
Keynote speakers at the Forum in Washington were: Hrygoriy Nemyria, Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine, who spoke on Ukraine’s Response to the Current Crisis and Perspectives for 2010; William B. Taylor, Jr., Vice President, Peace and Stability Operations, U.S. States Institute of Peace (USIP), former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, speaking on the US Support to Global Economic Recovery and to Ukraine and Dr. Edilberto Segura, Chairman of the Board, The Bleyzer Foundation (TBF).
Other speakers, panelists and moderators included: Ariel Cohen, Senior Research Fellow, The Kathryn and Shelby Cullom David Institute for International Studies, The Heritage Foundation; Ihor A. Shumylo, Executive Director, Economic Issues, Member of the Management Board, National Bank of Ukraine; Chris Wilson, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Europe and the Middle East, U.S. Office of the Special Trade Representative; Michael Bleyzer, Managing Partner, President & CEO, SigmaBleyzer; Bohdan Danylyshyn, Minister of Economy of Ukraine; William Miller, Senior Policy Scholar, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine; Ambassador John E. Herbst, Coordinator for Reconstruction & Stabilization, U.S. Dept of State, Former U.S. Amb to Ukraine,
Additional program participants in Washington included: Chrystia Freeland, U.S. Managing Editor, Financial Times; George Logush, Vice President Kraft Foods, Area Director: Ukraine, Eastern Europe, Central Asia; Jorge Zukoski, President, American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine (“Chamber”); Jock Mendoza-Wilson, Director of International & Investor Relations, Systems Capital Management (SCM);) Dr. Irina Paliashvili, President and Senior Counsel, RULG-Ukrainian Legal Group: Olexandra Kuzhel, Head of the Ukrainian State Committee for Regulatory Policy and Entrepreneurship and Morgan Williams, Director, Government Affairs, SigmaBleyzer, Washington; President, U.S.-Ukraine Business Council (USUBC).
Those participating by live TV link from Kyiv included: Martin Raiser, Country Director, The World Bank; Ceyla Pazarbasioglu, Assistant Director of the European Department and Head of the IMF Mission to Ukraine, International Monetary Fund (IMF); Andre Kuusvek, Country Director, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD); José Manuel Pinto Teixeira, Ambassador, Head of the EC Delegation to Ukraine; Valery Heyets, Head of the Institute for Economics and Forecasting, Ukrainian National Academy of Sciences; Oleg Ustenko, Executive Director, The Bleyzer Foundation (TBF) and Andriy Kravets, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Finance.
The event was hosted by the U.S.-Ukraine Business Council (USUBC) and sponsored by SigmaBleyzer and The Bleyzer Foundation.
The first annual International Forum on the Economic Development of Ukraine (www.edfukraine.com) concluded that while there are signs of an economic recovery in Ukraine, conditions will remain challenging in the near future.
The forum was the largest event organized in the U.S. on the economic development of Ukraine since Ukraine gained independence. The list of over 200 participants included representatives of leading global companies, international financial institutions, members of the Congress, U.S. Department of State, U.S. treasury, leading non-governmental research organizations working in international economic development, and the Ukrainian Trade and Investment Delegation of business and government officials to the U.S.
With one of the largest gatherings of Ukraine and regional experts on hand, economic, political and business leaders in both Ukraine and the U.S. conferred over a video teleconference to discuss the financial crisis in Ukraine and the government response.
Also present for the discussion in Washington were Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Hryhoriy Nemyria and Minister of Economy Bohdan Danylyshyn, along
with a 50-person strong Ukrainian Trade and Investment Delegation of business and government officials to the U.S. On the Kyiv side, leading
international financial and development officials from the IMF, EBRD, EC, the World Bank and others engaged in a meaningful dialogue on steps needed
to move forward beyond the crisis.
According to Dr. Edilberto Segura, Chairman of the Board of The Bleyzer Foundation, the longer term economic outlook for Ukraine is still bright,
but significant improvements in the business environment are needed to promote investments as the new source of economic growth.
The forum also included a TV link between Washington D.C. and Kyiv. The forum will be held annually.
LINKS:
Video links:
Opening Remarks by Morgan Williams and Michael Bleyzer (10:31):
http://www.site-test-view.com/Files/OpeningRemarks.mov
Hryhoriy Nemyria Keynote (35:08):
http://www.site-test-view.com/Files/HNKeynote.mov
William Taylor Keynote (9:18):
http://www.site-test-view.com/Files/TaylorKeynote.mov
Live Link between Kyiv and Washington DC (1:21:16):
http://www.site-test-view.com/Files/tvlink.mov
http://www.edfukraine.com
http://www.usubc.org
http://www.bleyzerfoundation.org
REUTERS LINK: http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS117873+19-Oct-2009+PRN20091019.
PR LINK: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/early-signs-of-economic-recovery-in-ukraine-but-conditions-remain-challenging-64730122.html.
FOOTNOTE: FORUM SPEAKERS, PANELISTS AND MODERATORS
Keynote speakers at the Forum in Washington were: Hrygoriy Nemyria, Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine, who spoke on Ukraine’s Response to the Current Crisis and Perspectives for 2010; William B. Taylor, Jr., Vice President, Peace and Stability Operations, U.S. States Institute of Peace (USIP), former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, speaking on the US Support to Global Economic Recovery and to Ukraine and Dr. Edilberto Segura, Chairman of the Board, The Bleyzer Foundation (TBF).
Other speakers, panelists and moderators included: Ariel Cohen, Senior Research Fellow, The Kathryn and Shelby Cullom David Institute for International Studies, The Heritage Foundation; Ihor A. Shumylo, Executive Director, Economic Issues, Member of the Management Board, National Bank of Ukraine; Chris Wilson, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Europe and the Middle East, U.S. Office of the Special Trade Representative; Michael Bleyzer, Managing Partner, President & CEO, SigmaBleyzer; Bohdan Danylyshyn, Minister of Economy of Ukraine; William Miller, Senior Policy Scholar, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine; Ambassador John E. Herbst, Coordinator for Reconstruction & Stabilization, U.S. Dept of State, Former U.S. Amb to Ukraine,
Additional program participants in Washington included: Chrystia Freeland, U.S. Managing Editor, Financial Times; George Logush, Vice President Kraft Foods, Area Director: Ukraine, Eastern Europe, Central Asia; Jorge Zukoski, President, American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine (“Chamber”); Jock Mendoza-Wilson, Director of International & Investor Relations, Systems Capital Management (SCM);) Dr. Irina Paliashvili, President and Senior Counsel, RULG-Ukrainian Legal Group: Olexandra Kuzhel, Head of the Ukrainian State Committee for Regulatory Policy and Entrepreneurship and Morgan Williams, Director, Government Affairs, SigmaBleyzer, Washington; President, U.S.-Ukraine Business Council (USUBC).
Those participating by live TV link from Kyiv included: Martin Raiser, Country Director, The World Bank; Ceyla Pazarbasioglu, Assistant Director of the European Department and Head of the IMF Mission to Ukraine, International Monetary Fund (IMF); Andre Kuusvek, Country Director, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD); José Manuel Pinto Teixeira, Ambassador, Head of the EC Delegation to Ukraine; Valery Heyets, Head of the Institute for Economics and Forecasting, Ukrainian National Academy of Sciences; Oleg Ustenko, Executive Director, The Bleyzer Foundation (TBF) and Andriy Kravets, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Finance.