Fon Mathuros, Head of Media, Public Engagement, Tel.: +41 (0)79 201 0211, E-mail: fma@weforum.org
Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, 21 January 2015 – President Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine told participants at the 45th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting that despite the aggression his country faces, Ukraine is strong and unified. “Ukraine has become stronger. Ukraine has become more democratic. And Ukraine has become more European,” he said.
In a special session on The Future of Ukraine at the Annual Meeting, held from 21 to 24 January, Poroshenko said that last year’s presidential and legislative elections were free and fair. He added that these elections showed a highly unified country, while polls indicate that support is stronger than ever for the country’s territorial unity and for integration with the European Union.
Poroshenko said that last year was “the most difficult in our history”, with parts of the country occupied by foreign troops. However, he also saw strong motives for optimism that peace can be achieved. He noted that shelling has fallen dramatically since a December agreement that called for “artillery silence”.
Poroshenko asked for the international community to continue its support of Ukraine, with political solidarity, with economic aid, and with the provision of defensive military technology. “We are not only fighting for our territorial integrity and independence, we are fighting for European values,” he said.
Ukraine is fully committed to economic reform, Poroshenko said. “We want to create a new country, free from corruption, with independent courts and the rule of law. We want to build a new climate for investment.” The country is already cracking down on corruption with a new anti-corruption bureau, and it is reducing bureaucracy. It is working to achieve energy independence from Russia through a mix of conservation, new suppliers and a clear, transparent energy market that will increase domestic shale gas production.
Poroshenko said that in Davos he has received several promises of major investment, as well as many expressions of support for his country. “I am thankful for this support. It is what Ukraine needs,” he said.
In his speech introducing President Poroshenko, Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum, said that the conflict’s costs, in human lives and economic resources, were increasingly unacceptable for both sides, and that he hoped the President’s participation in the 45th World Economic Forum would help show “how we, the international community, can assist you in your efforts”.
The Co-Chairs of the Annual Meeting 2015 are: Hari S. Bhartia, Co-Chairman and Founder, Jubilant Bhartia Group, India; Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director, Oxfam International, United Kingdom; Katherine Garrett-Cox, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer, Alliance Trust, United Kingdom; Young Global Leader Alumnus; Jim Yong Kim, President, The World Bank, Washington DC; Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman, Google, USA; and Roberto Egydio Setubal, Chief Executive Officer and Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors, Itaú Unibanco, Brazil.
Notes to Editors
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