Americans will Help Us to Overcome Crisis?
On June 3, Yalta city Mayor Sergey Braiko (Сергей Брайко) has met with representatives of the trade and investment mission of American companies that was headed by the US chargé d'affaires ad interim in Ukraine Mr. James Pettit. To the meeting were invited managers of social and municipal services of the city, directors of the largest hotels and inns of Yalta.
While extending a greeting to the delegation, Sergey Braiko has expressed hope that meeting will bring specific results:
- For us, it is very important – we’re constantly working on mobilization of foreign investment in Yalta, but during the last 15 years, we did not get any solid investments in the city. However the negotiations with representatives of big global hotel chains such as "Kempinski", "Hilton" and "Holiday" have been carrying on. Yalta’s Department of foreign relations and investments has developed quite a lot of investment projects, which we are ready to present you and we hope that you will have become interested in those.
Mr. James Pettit mentioned that (he) "proudly represents the group of big American entrepreneurs who are ready to co-operate with Crimea".
- It is important for us to establish direct links with your entrepreneurs, but not through the government only, - he said. – We know that potential in Yalta and Crimea is great, and we’re interested in cooperation. It is the very first time I am in Yalta, and I’m just delighted with beauty of this place. I wish I could stay more, but the job requests me to be in Kiev.
Mission members – managers and representatives of large American companies have told about the lines of activities of their interest. Specifically, it was hospitality business that was represented by Senior Project Manager of IMTC-MEI Company Sean Regan. "Over 40 years, we’re in the business of construction of hotels and we would like to find such opportunities in Ukraine, - he remarked. – And the best places for recreation in Ukraine are Crimea and Yalta". Projects in green energy and waste management interest Mr. Steven Gamelsky, The GEA Group President.
Commercial attaché Assistant of the US Trade Mission in Ukraine Yuriy Prikhodko (Юрий Приходько) stressed that only a small number of those representatives of businesses that are interested in investing in Yalta and Crimea could come visiting this time to "the summer Capital of Ukraine". This visit is just the first step and next time both hotel operators and representatives of food processing industry will arrive to Yalta.
Sergey Braiko has informed Mission members about existence of projects in their areas of interest which had undergone examination, so it is possible to start cooperation on the level of preliminary agreements. Mayor himself was interested in offers in the field of water supply, energy saving technologies and medical equipment procurement.
- We also had offers from foreign investors on creation of joint medical centers in Yalta. We are ready to consider the same offer from you, - he said, addressing to the Director of General Electric Healthcare Alexander Vaniushin (Александр Ванюшин), whose company specializes on medical equipment procurement.