Ukraine hopes to attract U.S. investors, partners through reforming defense industry - Dpty PM Urusky at meeting with Defense Attaché of U.S. Embassy
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Strategic Industries of Ukraine Oleh Urusky has discussed with Defense Attaché of the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine, Colonel Brittany Stewart, the development of military-technical cooperation between Ukraine and the United States and briefed her on the progress of reforms in the defense industry of Ukraine aimed at including attracting foreign investors and partners.
"The creation of two holding state-owned companies – 'Defense Systems of Ukraine' and 'Aerospace Systems of Ukraine' - will qualitatively change the structure of the defense industry complex, provide transparent and understandable procedures in this sensitive area of industry. Thanks to the implementation of the planned reforms, Ukraine expects to arouse the interest of potential investors and deepen cooperation with foreign partners, in particular with the United States," the press service quoted the Deputy Prime Minister as saying in a release on Friday.
According to it, Urusky spoke about the goals and objectives of the Ministry of Strategic Industry, as well as the prospects for the emergence of defense holdings in Ukraine. According to him, the process of reforming the country's defense industry has already begun, and recently the government adopted a resolution on the withdrawal of 17 enterprises from the Ukroboronprom State Corporation, 16 of which will be transferred to the State Property Fund of Ukraine with a view to their further privatization; and one more will be under the control of the Ministry of Defense.
Urusky also briefed Stewart on the current rule-making activities, in particular the situation around the bill "On the Peculiarities of Reforming State-Owned Defense Industry Enterprises", as well as the implementation of the Law on Government Defense Procurements. He noted that these normative legal acts and their future are under the special attention of the Ministry for Strategic Industries.
According to the release, Defense Attaché of the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine Stewart stressed that the United States remains unchanged in support of Ukraine, supporters of the development of the country's defense industry and deepening bilateral cooperation.
Urusky, in turn, thanked for the support that the United States is providing to Ukraine in the process of increasing the country's defense capability, and also expressed the interest of the Ukrainian side in further mutually beneficial cooperation.