On May 18, the leadership and members of the Latvian Employers' Confederation (LDDK) and the Federation of Employers of Ukraine (FEU) met in person to discuss areas of business cooperation of mutual interest.

The President of LDDK Andris Bite, in the opening the meeting: “Our organizations have established good co-operation since 2008 and have a common understanding of representing the interests of employers in solving various issues. We also agree that due to the current circumstances, Latvian and Ukrainian entrepreneurs need to further strengthen economic relations by developing mutually beneficial cooperation in various sectors. Given the current situation in Ukraine, LDDK considers it unacceptable to maintain a neutral position. I am proud that Latvian businessmen fully support Ukraine and are ready to do everything possible to help in this difficult situation. ”

During the meeting, the Ambassador of Ukraine to Latvia, H.E. Olexandr Mischenko, revealed that this is the first business delegation from Ukraine to visit another country since the beginning of the war. The Ambassador also emphasized that Latvia, as an ally of Ukraine, which has a great influence in the European Union, has provided very significant support in the field of humanitarian aid and defense. The two countries have developed high-quality co-operation, which must be continued in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine, both in the political sphere and in the business sphere.

LDDK General Director Līga Menģelsone stated in the conversation: “LDDK has been actively cooperating with colleagues from the European Business Confederation BUSINESSEUROPE, which forms the common position of European employers on what is happening in Ukraine. Although several countries had different attitudes, the LDDK strongly represented its position, fully supporting Ukraine. We know what freedom and democracy are, and we know what it means if people and state do not have freedom and democracy. Today's meeting is a bridge for the further development of cooperation to safeguard the values ​​of democracies, promote the well-being of citizens and the growth of business."

During the meeting, Ruslan ILLICHOV, Director General of the FEU, once again thanked the LDDK for its support and long-term cooperation, emphasizing that the LDDK was the first organization with which the FEU concluded an international cooperation agreement in 2008. Discussing the main problems currently facing Ukraine in the field of business, the Director General of the FEU pointed out that in these circumstances, too, it is important to keep jobs in Ukraine so that the country's economy does not stop and people can live and work in Ukraine. The Director-General also stated that the internal market and exports of Ukraine had significantly decreased since the beginning of the war, but that public procurement was available. The manufacturing sector, including the fishing industry, faces significant challenges due to a lack of raw materials affected by disrupted supply chains and sanctions. Energy companies are also suffering big losses in Ukraine, as is the supply of electricity. Speaking about logistics, R. Ilyichov said that it should be further developed at the port level, creating so-called dry ports.

Regarding the reconstruction of Ukraine, Latvian construction companies are ready to get involved and negotiations on the possibility of implementing various pilot projects are already underway. Ukrainian employers said that company reconstruction should start as soon as possible, but that the best solutions needed to be found.

Both sides agree on the need to develop joint cooperation at the company level, including the establishment of Latvian-Ukrainian joint ventures, in order to operate successfully in local and global markets. Most importantly, however, the military conflict must not be allowed to continue, otherwise Ukraine will lose its economy and the population will have nowhere to return.

On 18 May, employers of Ukraine also met with the Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, and visited company A. Medical and on 19 May JSC "JAUDA". Also during the visit, Ukrainian entrepreneurs are participating in the biggest and most important industrial fair in the Baltic Region “Tech Industry 2022”, which takes place from 19 to 21 May at the Kipsala International Exhibition Centre.

Photos of LDDK, "A.Medical", JSC "JAUDA" and "Tech Industry 2022": shorturl.at/kwUX9

Photos of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia: https://www.flickr.com/photos/latvianmfa/

Additional information:

About Federation of Employers of Ukraine (FEU):

FEU | https://fru.ua/en/  -   the most influential business organization in Ukraine. Founded in 2002 and has been successfully representing and defending business interests in Ukraine and internationally for 19 years. The FEU brings together more than 140 sectoral and regional employers' organizations representing key sectors of the Ukrainian economy, such as mechanical engineering, metallurgy, automotive, aerospace and defense, agriculture, chemicals, IT, media, energy, medicine and microbiology, construction, transport and infrastructure, retail and logistics, light and food industries, tourism and services. The FEU is a member organization of the International Organization of Employers (IOE) and participates in the work of the International Labor Organization (ILO) alongside other Ukrainian employers' organizations. In 2008, the Federation of Employers of Ukraine (FEU) signed a cooperation agreement with the Employers' Confederation of Latvia (LDDK).

About LDDK cooperation with FEU:

As the war in Ukraine continues, the LDDK continues to actively implement various support measures for Ukraine, working closely with representatives of the Federation of Employers of Ukraine (FEU), clarifying and supplementing the lists of goods that are most urgently needed by the people and defenders of Ukraine. The question of the possibility for Ukrainian manufacturing companies to relocate their production facilities from eastern to eastern Ukraine indefinitely for security reasons is becoming increasingly important. LDDK has started discussing with Ukrainian employers the possibilities of co-operation in the field of industrial production and the involvement of Latvian companies in the renewal of Ukraine. The FEU has thanked the LDDK for its support to the organization and to Ukrainian entrepreneurs during this difficult time.