Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman met on Wednesday with World Bank Country Director for Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova Satu Kahkonen.

Volodymyr Groysman congratulated Satu Kahkonen on her appointment the World Bank Country Director for Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova. "I believe that topmost lines of our cooperation should be support for projects in energy, transport, municipal and social sectors, agriculture, as well as healthcare and culture", stressed the Prime Minister.

The parties focused on financing by the World Bank of infrastructure and socio-economic development projects, which are being implemented by the Government of Ukraine.

As a result there was agreed to engage experts and financial resources of the World Bank to prepare the Strategy of transport infrastructure development in Ukraine. It is expected that the loan portfolio of the World Bank for the implementation of this project will amount US 1 billion.

Apart from that, Volodymyr Groysman and Satu Kahkonen discussed the issues of practical participation of the WB experts in the preparation of a concept of land reform and the healthcare system in Ukraine.

The World Bank Director for Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova presented to the Prime Minister the WB’s analysis of energy tariffs and the subsidy programme, as well as proposals on the implementation of it in the current period.

The interlocutors agreed to continue close cooperation in order to ensure the financial stability of district heating companies and to improve the program of housing subsidies.

The Prime Minister emphasized the need to review the current loan portfolio of the World Bank for Ukraine, in particular to study the efficiency of the projects being implemented at slow pace.

"We rely on preparing in synergy with the World Bank of projects aimed at strengthening the competitiveness of Ukrainian products, the introduction of new technologies and reform of the financial sector", accentuated the Prime Minister.