Oleg Bakhmatyuk: Ukraine can raise $100bn in10 years

He said this in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

Oleg Bakhmatyuk believes that due to the pandemic, the crisis and the associated global changes in the world economy, Ukraine has found itself in the trend which can be leveraged to significantly strengthen its position in the global markets.

"Ukraine is currently in an agricultural trend, or more broadly, in a commodity trend, in particular, we see the price of iron ore has risen. But the world will change fundamentally in the next 3-5 years, including because of this pandemic," he said.

In his opinion, the pandemic and economic challenges are changing the methods and means of communication between countries, creating new centres of gravity based on geographical and political advantages.

This will have a significant impact on the economy. A huge Eurasian community has been created by China, Singapore, Korea, and Japan. India is not a member. There are about 12-16 countries with almost 30% of the world's population and as much of the world's economy. The EU with its own problems. The United States, Russia, which is now nailing itself to China for various reasons. These factors will drive economic and political processes," Bakhmatyuk adds.

The second factor, in his opinion, is the huge liquidity overhang. For example, in the first 100 days, US President Joe Biden has already approved a $1.U trillion programme and another $3 trillion has been approved. This is 20% of US GDP and 5% of global GDP.

What is growing first? What you consume directly. That's why food is in this trend: grain, oilseeds… This also applies to all raw materials: oil, ore, metals will grow. That is, Ukraine is now in the trend.

I don't think Ukraine will need any external help for the next three years. Ukraine, unfortunately, was a raw material state and even exported its people as migrant labour. But now this is its advantage in the short term, which can be used for innovative, infrastructure projects."

- says Oleg Bakhmatyuk.

Bakhmatyuk believes that $100b can be raised for 10 years under the guarantee of supplying Ukrainian commodities to foreign markets.

That is why we can make them an interesting offer: are you interested in importing our products worth billions of dollars? Then we invite you to invest in infrastructure: roads, bridges, ports, privatisation of Ukrzaliznytsia, etc. We are not participants in this process, but observers, at best. And here we can become subjective, maybe not much, but enough to bring it into the economic plane," says Bakhmatyuk.

The second direction is the Middle East and North Africa, Saudi Arabia. This region is smaller, but it is also important. But it is important that the level of economic prosperity rises and social infrastructure of and opportunities for everyone grow.

This can only be done through investment and innovation,

Improving logistics. And then the correct construction of added value and promotion in the markets. But this is the next stage, and God willing, we will get there. In the Emirates, I was shown a photo from 40 years ago — it was the most backward country in the region. But I think it has changed. This concentration of opportunities has changed the country," he says.