• Close to 200 leaders from government and business met in Kyiv to discuss Scenarios for the Future of Ukraine
• Discussion centred on developing sustainable long-term strategies
• Forum’s Scenarios project to be action plan for Ukraine, said President Yanukovych

Kyiv, Ukraine, 6 November 2013 - The World Economic Forum hosted its first Strategic Dialogue on the Future of Ukraine on 5 and 6 November, bringing together senior policy-makers from Ukraine, neighbouring countries and international organizations. The World Economic Forum has created an unprecedented opportunity for close to 200 participants from the global business community to discuss how best to unlock Ukraine’s economic potential.

“The joint project on the Scenarios for the Future of Ukraine will become the action plan that will outline specific guidelines in many priority areas for a long time. Scenarios are just a probable future, in real life this future will be determined by concrete work by all members of the society, every Ukrainian. I am convinced that the future will be built on a partnership foundation“, said Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.

Significant shifts in the global economy are reshaping opportunities and challenges for Ukraine. Understanding these trends and developing sustainable long-term strategies was a key focus of this Strategic Dialogue hosted by the World Economic Forum in Kyiv.

“Ukraine is at a critical juncture,” noted Anastassia Aubakirova, Forum Director for Eurasia. “Through the Scenarios process, the World Economic Forum intends to facilitate a forward-looking policy discussion among the different stakeholders.

The Kyiv meeting took place in the context of the Forum’s Scenarios for the Future of Ukraine, initiated by the Forum earlier this year, that consulted a variety of stakeholders about the key opportunities and challenges for the Ukrainian economy. The preliminary outcomes of this process have provided the starting point for the discussions at this meeting, with the final results due to be presented at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2014 in Davos in January.

The World Economic Forum will continue to serve as a platform for Ukrainian stakeholders to explore the country’s agenda through the forthcoming launch of the report on the Scenarios for the Future of Ukraine at the Annual Meeting in Davos in January 2014.