Prime Minister's speech at Kyiv International Economic Forum

Dear Prime Minister Koretskyi,

Distinguished guests,

Dear friends,

Returning to Kyiv International Economic Forum holds special significance for me.

I have attended this forum many times. Back then, I came as a private equity investor, seeking opportunities, meeting entrepreneurs and, sometimes, negotiating the valuation of companies.

Today I am here as the Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova. I must admit that this is quite an unexpected career change.

But my confidence in Ukraine remains unchanged.

For nearly fifteen years, I invested in and developed businesses here. I saw Ukrainian entrepreneurs overcome one crisis after another.

And I saw investments generate remarkable returns — some even after the launch of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

In the investment world, we are accustomed to assessing risks. Ukraine taught me, however, that we must also take people’s character into account.

Ukraine faces risks, but it also has strong people capable of confronting them.

Russia is systematically attacking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, factories, ports and logistics networks. And yet, companies continue to produce. Entrepreneurs find alternative routes. Businesses continue to invest and innovate.

Not because life has returned to normal. It has not.

But because Ukrainians refuse to let Russia decide what their lives should look like.

That is why I continue to believe in Ukraine’s economic future. Not because I underestimate the risks, but because I know the people who are building this future.

Fortune favors the brave. And few nations have shown as much courage as Ukraine.

I am convinced that, once peace arrives, investors will want to participate in the revival of the Ukrainian economy.

But those who are already here, investing and building precisely now, when it matters most, will have an advantage that those who come later will not be able to buy: the trust, experience and relationships built during difficult times.

Many of these people are in this room today. People whom I know, admire and respect.

All of this is possible thanks to a form of courage that is incomparably greater — the courage of Ukraine’s defenders.

Dear Ukrainian friends,

We all see the price Ukraine is paying to defend its freedom.

Behind every day in which Ukrainian businesses continue to operate are the people standing up to aggression on the front lines. Ukrainian soldiers, many of whom will never return home.

Ukrainian soldiers are not defending only Ukraine. They are also defending the Republic of Moldova. They are defending Europe.

We in the Republic of Moldova understand very well that your soldiers are also defending our homes and our children.

And for this, we are deeply grateful to you.

We bow our heads before the memory of those who gave their lives and before their families. And we thank all those who are defending Ukraine today. We will never forget this sacrifice.

And it is precisely our respect for this sacrifice that obliges us to think about the future for which Ukraine’s defenders are fighting.

Because Ukraine deserves more than merely to endure. Ukraine deserves to prosper.

And we, your neighbors and friends, want to contribute to this future.

I will offer one concrete example.

Russia is systematically destroying Ukraine’s ports and logistics infrastructure.

Today, every alternative route is a matter of economic security.

That is precisely why we decided to grant a 50% reduction in rail transit tariffs for Ukrainian goods transported through the Republic of Moldova.

It was not an easy decision. We are also facing budget constraints, we must take the interests of our own farmers into account, and we face problems in the railway sector.

But friendship is not measured in statements. It is demonstrated through decisions. Sometimes, through difficult decisions.

And we are ready to work together on better infrastructure, reducing border-crossing times and developing new logistics routes.

We are also ready to develop logistics centers and storage facilities in the Republic of Moldova together with the Ukrainian business community.

As Russia systematically attacks Ukraine’s logistics infrastructure, these facilities can provide additional support to your companies, helping maintain supply chains and exports.

Not to replace infrastructure in Ukraine, but to support its operation.

By the way, I speak about Ukrainian logistics not only as Prime Minister, but also as a loyal customer of many years.

During this visit, I have already managed to pick up a parcel from “Nova Poshta” and restock my supplies at “Aurora”. Rozetka is also on my list. And, of course, I have five Kyiv cakes to take home.

I only hope that Moldovan customs will not consider them a commercial shipment.

But let us return to business.

We want Ukrainian enterprises to become stronger. And if the Republic of Moldova can contribute to this objective, we are open to doing so.

We can contribute by developing additional logistics routes and production platforms, or by facilitating access to the markets of Romania and the Balkans.

Especially Romania — an economy with a GDP of more than 450 billion dollars, with which we share a common language, infrastructure and close economic relations.

For Ukrainian entrepreneurs, the Republic of Moldova can serve as a platform for expanding their businesses into the Romanian market, in a familiar cultural environment.

Of course, we are a small country, with a relatively limited domestic market.

That is why we must compete not through size, but through speed, simple rules and an investor-friendly attitude.

Perhaps one day we will become a kind of Ireland of Eastern Europe. But to get there, we still have a great deal of work to do.

I myself was an investor for many years, waiting for an answer from a public official. Now I am on the other side of the table, and I remember very well how frustrating this can be.

That is why we are working to make the state more efficient, faster and more predictable. And we will openly support joint projects with the Ukrainian business community.

Finally, I want to address our shared European future.

Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova have made a clear European choice. We still have a great deal of work ahead — reforms to implement, institutions to strengthen and economies to develop. And we have much to learn from one another.

But I want to say one more thing.

Ukraine needs the European Union. But the European Union also needs Ukraine.

It needs its industry, its technologies and its entrepreneurs. Its experience, strength and indomitable spirit.

Europe will be stronger with Ukraine by its side.

Dear friends,

For many years, I believed in Ukraine as an investor. Today, I believe in Ukraine as a neighbor and a friend.

I believe in a Ukraine that will not only prevail, but will become one of Europe’s most dynamic economies.

In a Ukraine where people will return home, where investors will come and where new technologies and companies will emerge.

In a Ukraine that will take its rightful place in the great European family.

Thank you for your friendship. Thank you for your courage. Thank you for defending our freedom as well.

Long live Moldova! Glory to Ukraine!