Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
MEDIA STATEMENT ON VISIT OF THE UKRAINIAN UNION OF INDUSTRIALISTS AND INTREPRENEURS (UUIE) TO SOUTH AFRICA FROM 14 - 21 APRIL 1998
A high-level delegation from the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Ukraine (UUIE) will visiting South Africa from 14 to 21 April 1998 to explore possibilities of expanding economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.
South Africa and Ukraine maintain excellent bilateral relations. Trade and investment ties between the two countries have increased substantially since 1992. With a population of 52 million, Ukraine presents an attractive investment and trade market for South Africa. Avenues of further developing this potential will be one of the main aims of the visit.
The 11 member business delegation, headed by Mr Alexander Shnypko, vice-president of the UUIE, will visit Pretoria, Johannesburg and Cape Town. Meetings will be held with the Departments of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Industry, the South Africa Foundation, the Industrial Development Corporation, Wesgro and other private sector companies. The Department of Foreign Affairs will host a workshop on the contours of doing business with Ukraine. It is expected that a partnership agreement between the UUIE and the South Africa Foundation will also be signed during the visit.
The UUIE was founded in 1992 and is a non-governmental public organisation that unites more than 10 000 Ukrainian enterprises, associations and organisations. The UUIE was created with the purpose of consolidating the efforts of producers, entrepreneurs and businessmen in Ukraine to expedite the implementation of radical economic reform.
The main aims of the UUIE are: to protect the rights of manufacturers; to promote the creation of real market structurers; to promote the creation of real market structures and mechanisms, the change of property relations and ensuring a free market system; to support initiatives in joint stock, leasing, cooperative and state enterprises and organisations regarding production development; to create the necessary legal and social guarantees for economic activity; to restore the lost scientific, technological and economic ties between enterprises, companies and businessmen of Ukraine and other countries of the world as well as to create new ties.
The UUIE is a member of the International Congress of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs.
ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS PRETORIA 13 APRIL 1998