WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Kiev has reached several agreements with American investors during Monday’s US-Ukraine Business Forum held in Washington, DC, Ukraine Economy Minister Aivaras Abromavicius told Sputnik.
“Positively, there is an interest from US investors, and several deals have already been announced during this conference,” Abromavicius said on Monday.
Abromavicius explained that the private equity fund manager Horizon Capital announced an investment into Ukraine’s online store rozetka.ua.
Moreover, the US agricultural trading giant Cargill also announced it will increase its investment into the building of the port in Yujniy in the south of Ukraine, he added.
“Such number of investors was expected. As you have seen, the rooms were full, and so, unfortunately, many others who wished to attend this forum could not be accommodated,” Abromavicius said.
The US-Ukraine Business Forum is held for the first time. It aims to help Ukraine become a more favourable place for American businesses. It brought together US government officials, CEOs and business leaders and Ukraine’s policymakers.
Ukraine's economy has been hit hard by the conflict between government forces and independence supporters in the country's southeast, who refused to recognize the coup-imposed nationalist government in Kiev in 2014.
The Kiev authorities are trying to rescue the country's economy using international loans, including a $17 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which the organization approved in May 2014.
To receive the IMF funds in full, Ukraine agreed to a severe austerity program that includes shedding 24,000 government jobs, raising taxes, privatizing state assets and withdrawing subsidies on natural gas.
