President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has hailed the trade and economic cooperation between Qatar and his country as the basis of the bilateral relations.
In an interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA) on the occasion of his official visit to Qatar, Zelenskyy said that despite the difficult circumstances due to the coronavirus pandemic, bilateral trade has reached almost $150mn This is twice as much as, for example, in 2018.
"This year the dynamics of trade between our countries even have been increased. However, I am convinced that the potential of our trade and economic cooperation is much higher. And we are witnessing intensification of our relations in various fields," the president said.
He noted the concession for the Ukrainian port of Olvia that was won by the Qatari company "QTerminals", adding that it is really great that such significant business players are entering the Ukrainian market.
"I want to assure once again that my priority is to improve systematically the investment climate and create the most favourable conditions for foreign investors in Ukraine. For this purpose, we are reforming our legislation and implementing ambitious national programs," he said.
In this context, the Ukrainian president noted that he signed in February the "Investment nanny" law, which provides for state support for strategic investors with investments exceeding EUR 20mn , pointing as well to the law on concessions which encourages public-private partnerships.
The Ukrainian president highlighted the mega-project "Big Construction", that involves construction of roads and other infrastructure facilities, affirming that it is promising for investors.
He noted that Ukraine is known for its rich black soil "chornozem" around the world, adding that his country is launching a historic land reform that establishes transparent rules in the agricultural sector.
"Two thirds of our territory are fertile soil. And this is more than 42mn hectares of agricultural land. Therefore, we have many areas for investment in the agricultural sector: animal husbandry, processing of agricultural products, logistics infrastructure," he explained.
On the extent of progress of joint economic and investment projects between the two countries, Zelenskyy emphasised that Ukraine is open for attracting foreign investments, including those from the Qatar's sovereign and investment funds, in such areas as high technology, infrastructure, finance, energy and agriculture.
"As the President of Ukraine, I do believe that it is necessary not only to attract foreign investments. My entire team and our government are actively working on providing transparent and predictable conditions for investors, as well as comfortable environment for business to work in our state."
The Ukrainian president also noted new horizons for political, economic and commercial cooperation between Qatar and Ukraine, noting that Ukraine is a powerful supplier of metallurgical industry products, and a reliable supplier of agricultural and food products.
"Our country is ready to become guarantor of world food security. Ukrainian exporters just now have opportunity to implement all necessary certification procedures, primarily in compliance with the 'halal' requirements," he stressed.
The president underlined that Ukraine is interested in further expanding air communication with Qatar, noting that this step will create appropriate conditions for people to people contacts and development of cooperation in the field of tourism.
He looked forward to holding the second meeting of the Joint Ukrainian-Qatari inter-governmental commission on economic, trade and technical cooperation.
Highlighting the coordination between the two countries on various international issues, Zelenskyy said that Qatar and Ukraine maintain close cooperation in the framework of international organisations, in particular in the context of discussion of the most pressing international issues, adding that his country strongly counts on further support of initiatives that are important for Ukraine by the Qatari partners.
He emphasised that Ukraine traditionally has a high level of cooperation with the Middle East region and the Islamic world in general, stressing that Ukraine understands the Arab states, their culture and history, and their contribution to the world civilization.
He expressed pleasure with the results of the 41st GCC summit, including the GCC reconciliation, stressing that preserving of the unity and solidarity between the GCC member-states remains a guarantee of further strengthening of peace, security and stability in the Middle East region.
The president also praised the active mediation efforts of Qatar in resolving international conflicts, particularly in the context of promoting peace in Afghanistan.
Talking about Qatar hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup for the first time in the Middle East, and how Ukraine can contribute to this global event, the president underlined that professional management and traditional hospitality of Qatar will guarantee a real and unique world-class experience to football fans.
"Ukraine has a significant experience of holding mass events and sports competitions. In 2012 we co-hosted the final tournament of the European Football Championship, in 2019 the final match of the UEFA Champions League took place in Kyiv. Therefore, we will be glad to share our experience with Qatari partners, in both technical and security issues. Ukrainian companies are also interested in participating in implementation of various infrastructure projects for the World Cup in Qatar," he added.
Speaking on the efforts of the two countries in the field of confronting the coronavirus pandemic and the international cooperation in this regard, the Ukrainian president said that the coronavirus pandemic has become a common reality and a global challenge. It necessitates concerted efforts to address this problem, praising the role of Qatar during the pandemic.
"Qatar has already shown solidarity with its partners. I am grateful for provision of the humanitarian medical aid to Ukraine for combating the spread of Covid-19 in 2020. I consider this step as a manifestation of true friendship," he said.
"We are also grateful to our Qatari partners for assistance in evacuation of Ukrainian citizens from all over the world during the most difficult pandemic periods in 2020 by means of the Qatar Airways aircraft. Ukraine also appreciates Qatar's contribution to the global efforts aimed at combating the coronavirus. Humanitarian aid, provided by Qatar to many countries around the world, demonstrates your state's strong commitment to the spirit of partnership and mutual assistance in times of trouble," the Ukrainian president stressed.