Raiffeisen Bank Aval and Kyiv International Economic Forum (KIEF), of the key business events in Ukraine, have announced a partnership within the fifth Forum.

“The goals of our bank and KIEF are similar because we strive to develop the Ukrainian economy by introducing innovations, searching for and using new opportunities. We participate in the Forum in order to express our vision of the priority changes that the banking system needs to introduce today to not lose opportunities tomorrow,” comments the Chairman of the Board of Raiffeisen Bank Aval Volodymyr Lavrenchuk.

“KIEF is a communication platform for the business, authority, society, and the international expert community leaders, which determines the most effective way of Ukraine’s development. Raiffeisen Group is one of the leaders of the banking system in Ukraine and in the world, therefore its managers will show deep expertise during the Forum’s discussions,” pointed out Yuriy Pyvovarov, Chairman of the KIEF Organizing Committee.

KIEF 2018 will gather world-renowned economists, famous businessmen, investors, and visionaries in Kyiv. The key topic of the Forum will be the future of the countries in the high-tech world. Therefore, special attention will be paid to the latest technologies. Experts from different fields will provide their predictions for how artificial intelligence, robotization, blockchain, and other technologies will affect business and society. The topic of the implemented business high-tech projects will also be in the focus of the Forum’s attention — an exhibition area of ​​more than 1,000 sq. m. will be dedicated to it.

In addition, the KIEF participants are expected to discuss development of the economy, industry, financial system, and education. Among the panel discussions’ topics are improving the investment climate in the country, developing exports from raw materials to value-added products, strategies for inclusive growth, the future of agribusiness, etc.

KIEF history

During the first KIEF, held in 2014, the contours of structural reforms needed for Ukraine’s economic breakthrough were outlined. Within KIEF-2015, experts offered the most effective tools for this breakthrough. The main conclusion was the advice not to give Ukraine's economy at the mercy of the free market, and specifically to manage it via the government-business-society triangle. 2016 Forum was dedicated to strategic issues: how to attract investments to Ukraine and how to become part of a global process of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

To participate in the fourth Forum, which in October 2017 brought together 113 speakers from 30 countries, 210 media representatives and more than 1,200 visitors, numerous delegations of potential investors visited Kyiv to learn about business opportunities in Ukraine. Thus, the Forum is working to improve the reputation of the country, and many entrepreneurs find partners, clients and new contacts for business development during the KIEF.

For the news about KIEF, you can follow the forum's website and its official Facebook page.

Kyiv International Economic Forum (KIEF) is a permanently operating venue for shaping the strategy of economic development of Ukraine. It is aimed at setting up a dialogue between experts, businesses and government, using the best international practices, creating a road map for the development and promoting the conversion of ideas into real action. www.forumkyiv.org/en

Public Joint Stock Company Raiffeisen Bank Aval is part of Raiffeisen International Bank-Holding AG, Austria (since October 2010 — Raiffeisen Bank International AG). As of December 31, 2017, the RBI Group owned 68.28% of the Ukrainian bank’s shares and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development — 30% of its shares. A wide range of standard and modern banking services is provided to more than 2.5 million customers of Raiffeisen Bank Aval through a nationwide network, which consisted of 500 branches throughout Ukraine at the end of 2017. The bank’s website: www.aval.ua.