Zelensky calls on global business to come to Ukraine "without waiting for us to reach our victory"

KYIV. Sept 6 (Interfax-Ukraine) – President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has called on the international business community to plan investment now without waiting for the end of the war.

"Any success story in Europe is now simply impossible without Ukraine – a story of both political and business success. They are possible only with Ukraine and in Ukraine," he said in a speech via video call to open the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday.

While speaking about preconditions for investment, the head of state noted that "we together with our partners – in particular with the United States of America, with President Biden – manage to unite Europe and the entire free world around the struggle for freedom, for our values, the values of freedom. We did an unprecedented thing. And this is not just a temporary thing, this is a fundamental factor."

"We are perfectly integrated with our region and will be fully integrated with the European Union. Ukraine has already obtained the status of a candidate for EU membership – this happened precisely during this war – and we will definitely obtain full membership," he said.

Zelensky recalled that "we have an almost complete range of natural resources and minerals. From gas to uranium, from lithium to titanium, from coal to quartzite and much more. And we have not only resources, but also a strong culture and tradition of extraction, processing and production."

"By the way, one of the reasons why Russia started a war of aggression against Ukraine is their apprehension that we will become not just an industrial competitor for Russia, but a real substitute for it in many markets of many countries," the president said.

Zelensky also noted that "Ukraine can and, I am sure, will definitely become a green energy hub for Europe. We are capable of replacing dirty Russian energy resources. Ukraine has a huge natural potential for establishing capacities in green energy and in the production of green hydrogen. This is a potential of at least tens, and realistically looking at things – hundreds of gigawatts of green electrical power."

"But the general project of Ukrainian reconstruction will be the largest economic project in Europe of our time. The largest for several generations. Its volume is already estimated at hundreds of billions of dollars. And with the necessary modernization of the Ukrainian infrastructure, taking into account security needs, it is more than a trillion dollars and in a fairly short term – less than ten years," the president said.

"Infrastructure funds will find a large number of projects in the airports and in the construction of new roads and bridges. Real estate funds will receive a market with hundreds of millions of square meters of new housing, offices, logistics, and industrial real estate. Banks and financial institutions can enter the huge lending market for all these projects in Ukraine. Insurance companies will be able to offer new insurance products, taking into account the specifics of our region and our risks. Hotel operators will be able to reveal our great tourist and business potential – the whole world is interested in seeing Ukraine, feeling it and being here," Zelensky said.

"And I encourage you to plan your investment now. Without waiting for us to reach our victory," the head of state said.

Addressing the business community, Zelensky said that "perhaps some of the companies whose representatives are here now or companies related to you are still working on the Russian market – and not just selling, but producing there."

"The prospect for all businesses is that they will have to leave Russia in any case. And therefore, it is profitable to come to Ukraine. It is on Ukrainian land that the new center of economic growth in Europe will be," he said.

"Any company that will have an opportunity to put the Made in Ukraine label on its product will automatically become a part of the story of Ukrainian bravery and victory, a globally known story, and at the same time – a part of our life, which we defend with all our strength – and with the help of the strongest world powers and leaders," the president said.