Kyiv, 9 May 1998 (RFE/RL) - Ukrainian Prime Minister Valery Pustovoitenko told delegates to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development's (EBRD) board meeting in Kyiv today that Ukraine needs their investment for its economic reform program to succeed.
Pustovoitenko made the remarks in an unscheduled appearance at the EBRD's business forum, where government officials are trying to sell investment opportunities in their countries to potential investors.
Foreign investors have fled Ukraine since last year's financial crisis in Asia, due to concern over the instability of fragile emerging markets.
Delegates to the annual EBRD meeting are gathering in Kyiv today for the start of the four-day annual event. Government leaders and central bankers from across eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union are making presentations on investment opportunities and the reform process in their respective countries. The EBRD board is also scheduled to approve its annual financial report.
