On February 21, 2019, Kyiv hosted a practical seminar devoted to the topic of investments with the participation of First Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine/Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine Stepan Kubiv, Vice Prime Minister/Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services Hennadii Zubko, Ukraine Investment Promotion Office UkraineInvest, representatives of central and regional authorities, experts, international partners and business.

As First Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine/ Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine Stepan Kubiv noted in his opening remarks, the regions are a major engine of the country's economic development. That is why their sustainable development and leveraging foreign investments are a priority for the Government of Ukraine.

"The Government, the President, and the Parliament embody unprecedented systemic reforms aimed at sustainable economic growth, regional development, and investment attraction. Reforms create powerful investment incentives, but the next step should be growing sustainability, capability and readiness of Ukrainian regions to use the resources and competencies in a competition for the investor", Stepan Kubiv emphasized.

Regional development, the issue of eliminating the problem of peripheries, balancing the opportunities of the territories today is number one priority for the next 5 years of development of Ukraine, said Vice Prime Minister/ Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine Hennadii Zubko.

"It is important for us to achieve the goal set by the President of Ukraine - to get rid of such a concept as the periphery, and to balance the development and capabilities of the territories. That is why the amalgamated territorial communities, which have been devolved funds, opportunities, and responsibilities, have to step up their development. This concerns the introduction of the New Educational Space, primary rural medicine, CASPs, security centers, and strengthening of social protection of the population. Everything that will motivate people to live in communities, create families, give birth to children. And for the investor, in turn, to demonstrate that there are educated people who can be effectively involved in his business and bring profits", said Hennadii Zubko.

The discussion of recent examples of investment attraction in the regions and cooperation of foreign investors with local authorities caught the interest of the audience. The representatives of businesses told about their experience.

The main criteria for success in leveraging investment are not only the ability to emphasize the unique features of the region. Local authorities should also provide quality services for business, create comfortable conditions for investors. All these criteria undoubtedly influence the decisions of potential investors regarding further investments", said the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of UkraineInvest Danylo Bilak.

The workshop has become a platform for deepening cooperation and exchange of best practices in attracting foreign investment and cooperation with investors. The format of the event allowed the participants of the seminar to hear about the needs and interests of investors for further effective cooperation.

Based on the results of the seminar, the participants developed tools and mechanisms for increasing the volume of investments in the regional economy, learned about the actual needs of investors and received effective tools for quality support of potential investors.