Viktor Yanukovych: Ukraine Joins Global Competition for Future
The world is in search of new models of economic growth. In this situation the countries such as Ukraine have a chance to follow a new path of development, said Viktor Yanukovych, President of Ukraine, in his opening speech at the 9th Annual Meeting of Yalta European Strategy.
According to him, the world faces new challenges, and new waves of the crisis: Eurozone has entered a crucial period; the U.S. growth slows down; volatility of global markets increases.
The economy can no longer take increased consumption credit. The economic model that has worked in the past decades is now losing its effectiveness. "Attempts to renew economic growth within old paradigms do not work. Previous model of development has exhausted its resources. In order to overcome the crisis we must go through a long and difficult path of reform", said the President.
According to the President of Ukraine, with the changing architecture of the global economy, the countries which at the times of the crisis have opted for radical but constructive reforms will have a historic opportunity.
These are the countries that have joined the race for leadership. These are the countries that are closely watched by investors looking for long-term capital investments with an eye to the future. Not so long ago, the club of the world leaders was limited to the "big eight". But today it has increased to "Big Twenty" and that, in the opinion of the Ukrainian president, is not the limit.
"Ukraine has the intention and a real chance to join the competition for future", said Viktor Yanukovych. According to him, "Ukrainian response to the global crisis is an accelerated modernization. We managed to get out of the spiral of the crisis and to reverse the decline. To sit and wait till the crisis is over will not work. Ukrainian reforms objective is clear: to become one of the leading countries in the post-crisis world ", said Viktor Yanukovych.
Among the key reforms the President mentioned liberation of entrepreneurial initiative, radical approaches to attract investment and improve investment climate, and judicial reform. It is also extremely important, said the President, to actively seek the ways for trade and economy integrations, associations and alliances with all countries.
The 9th Yalta Annual Meeting entitled “Ukraine and the World: Addressing Tomorrow’s Challenges Together” takes place in Yalta at the Livadia Palace, Ukraine, from 13-16 September 2012. More than 200 leaders from politics, business and society representing more than 20 countries will discuss major global challenges and their impact on Europe, Ukraine and the world.
The President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych and the Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan opened the plenary part of the 9th YES Annual Meeting on September 14. The two leaders discussed critical issues affecting the development of Ukraine and Turkey, as well as the future of a “Wider Europe” in the 21st century. Aleksander Kwasniewski, President of Poland (1995-2005) and Chairman of the Board of YES, moderated the discourse.
The overarching topic of the 9th Yalta Annual Meeting will be the key transformations that are already shaping the future of the world. Forum sessions will focus on the future of the world economy, on a new world order and its security, and on possible models for the development of capitalism. Special attention will be paid to the role of innovation and leadership in transforming the economy and society. Other topics for discussion include the future of the European Union, energy issues and the internal and external challenges facing Ukraine.
This year’s Yalta Annual Meeting will welcome, among others, Robert Zoellick, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Condoleezza Rice, Gordon Brown, Alec Ross, Eric Lander, Kairat Kelimbetov, Carl Bildt, Javier Solana.
At the plenary discussions of the 9th YES Annual Meeting, Ukraine will be represented by the Prime Minister Mykola Azarov; the First Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Valeriy Khoroshkovsky; Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Social Policy Serhiy Tihipko; Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko; Minister of Energy of Ukraine Yuriy Boyko; Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Kostyantyn Gryshchenko; Secretary of the National Defence and Security Council of Ukraine Andriy Klyuev.
Chrystia Freeland, Global Editor-at-Large at Thomson Reuters will moderate discussions.
The 9th Yalta Annual Meeting is streamed live on korrespondent.net in Ukrainian and on euronews.com and yes-ukraine.org in English.
The official Twitter of the 9th Yalta Annual Meeting: @yes_ukraine
Hash tag: #yalta2012
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