During an official visit to the Republic of Austria, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks with Federal President of Austria Alexander Van der Bellen.
The President of Ukraine expressed gratitude to the Republic of Austria for supporting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and a solidary position on sanctions against Russia.
The Federal President of Austria stated that he knows that the peace agreement is not fully observed, but the fact that the regime of silence has been maintained and people are not dying is already a great progress. He expressed hope for further promotion of peace initiatives to end the war in Donbas.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that it is important to continue negotiations in the Normandy format for that.
"We have not managed to return our territories yet, but a big step is a regime of silence. There were attempts to disrupt it, but we managed to continue. We are waiting for a meeting of advisors, and then the leaders of the countries of the Normandy format," the President of Ukraine said.
The interlocutors discussed the measures taken by both countries to contain the COVID-19 pandemic and overcome its negative consequences. The importance of coordinating international efforts for the medical and social protection of citizens was emphasized.
"We are ready for mass production of the vaccine when it is created. We always offer our capacities for this. In Ukraine, this proposal was made by two private companies. We very much hope that the vaccine will be available in 2021,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
In this context, the parties also discussed the importance of restoring the positive dynamics of bilateral trade and the need to intensify the existing mechanisms of practical cooperation, in particular in the trade, economic and investment spheres.
The President of Ukraine said that a large number of interesting infrastructure projects are being implemented in our country. He informed of the "Great Construction" program, under which more roads are being built this year than in the last decade.
“We need your highly qualified specialists in infrastructure projects. We have tunnel construction projects. I know that you are at a very high level in this area. I sincerely invite you to implement joint projects with Ukraine in our country," Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged.
Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine Vladyslav Krykliy gave more details about infrastructure projects. He spoke about the development of the railway industry, successful concession projects, the creation of a state air carrier and the development of the road industry.
"Localization of projects in Ukraine is very important for us, because it means job creation," Vladyslav Krykliy said.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine is currently implementing the reforms it has been waiting for all the years of independence. In particular, land, judicial reform, the reform of the Prosecutor General's Office. The President also said that decentralization reform is in its final stages and is one of the most successful in Ukraine.
He also noted that the IT industry offers an attractive low tax rate of only 5%. Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged to gather interested Austrian business and demonstrate everything in Ukraine. In addition, he said that today Ukraine pays special attention to the development of tourism.
The President of Ukraine believes that the Austrian experience and investments would be extremely useful for the creation of ski resorts in our country.
The President of Ukraine informed the Austrian party about the steps taken by the Ukrainian authorities to improve business conditions and create opportunities for attracting foreign investment. Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke in detail about the project of the so-called investment nannies, due to which every foreign investor who is ready to invest $ 30 million receives favorable conditions for paying VAT, state guarantees and an individual manager.
"We treat every investor like a pearl. I often hold meetings with them myself if problems arise, and control their solution," the President of Ukraine stressed.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also informed that a bill on inland water transport has already been submitted to the Verkhovna Rada, which will create additional incentives to attract investors. After all, the adoption of this law will allow the intensification of transportation on inland waterways. Separately, the Head of State noted that this type of transportation is environmentally friendly and very developed in Austria.
It is planned to expand bilateral contacts of relevant departments and business circles of Ukraine and Austria.
