Swedish businesses are interested in increasing their presence in Ukraine, as well as developing cooperation with Ukrainian companies in high-tech sectors such as energy, telecommunications, and cybersecurity. This was discussed during a meeting between the First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister of Economy Yulia Sviridenko and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy, Business, and Industry of Sweden, Ebba Busch.
Also present at the meeting were the Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Rostyslav Shurma, Deputy Ministers of Economy of Ukraine Volodymyr Kuzo and Oleksiy Sobolev, as well as the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to Ukraine Martin Oberg and the State Secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Business, and Industry Daniel Liljeberg.
"During the meeting, we thanked the Government of Sweden for the support already provided and called for facilitating Swedish business investment in the Ukrainian economy and participating in projects under the Ukraine Recovery Plan. Private sector investments are extremely important for the recovery of our country as they have the greatest multiplier effect on the economy.
We discussed specific projects that may be of interest to Swedish companies for investment. We heard from colleagues that Swedish businesses already operating in Ukraine are interested in expanding their presence, and potential investors express interest in cooperation in such high-tech areas as classical and green energy, telecommunications, and cybersecurity. It is very important for us to localize such high-tech production in Ukraine. We have great opportunities for cooperation, which will benefit both countries," said Yulia Sviridenko.
During the meeting, the parties discussed opportunities to increase support for Ukraine's energy sector against the backdrop of continued missile attacks by the Russian Federation and investments in other key sectors of the economy, which will be prioritized in 2024-2027 and have the greatest growth potential. They also discussed the possibility of involving the Swedish Export Credit Agency in insuring military risks for Swedish investors.
Another topic of discussion was the development of women's entrepreneurship in Ukraine, providing grants to women for business development, and reducing the gender pay gap. A priority for the Government is to reduce the pay gap between men and women from 18.6% to 13.6% by 2030.
The First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine also emphasized that Ukrainian women are increasingly willing to undergo training and retraining for traditionally male professions - working in construction, demining, processing industries, and many other previously exclusively "male" positions. The parties discussed the possibility of Sweden's participation in educational programs for women entrepreneurs so that they return to Ukraine with new skills and knowledge to contribute to its reconstruction.
