fbpx

«If there is no dialogue, there is no communication, and then there is nothing» - Jan Bielecki with the open lecture at KSE

«If there is no dialogue, there is no communication, and then there is nothing» – Jan Bielecki with the open lecture at KSE

May 15, 2015

On May 14th Jan Bielecki, Minister for European Integration of Poland paid visit to Kyiv School of Economics. During the meeting with Ukraine’s business community and students of the school Mr.Bielecki discussed political, social and economic difficulties Ukraine is ought to overcome in post-revolution period. “Reforming is an ongoing process, not the one that is done at once,” Mr. Bielecki said.

 

He also emphasized the importance of continuous dialogue between Ukraine and the EU which should be driving changes in Ukraine. “Ukrainian side is in particularly difficult situation, transition is always a painful process. It’s very difficult to agree on the steps to be undertaken,” Mr.Bielecki said. “Start the dialogue,” he said. Mr. Bielecki also brought up the issue of privatization of state-owned enterprises and shared his views on the ways Ukraine can use Polish experience to reform banking sector, which has large number of insolvencies, in particular. Oshchadbank, state-run saving bank has to be restructured before it can be privatized, Mr. Bielecki said. “Then 30 percent of it can be listed at one stock exchange and maybe 20 percent at other,” he said. “We can let go the banks weak on liability,” he said.

Mr.Bielecki also met with representatives of the government and participated in public panel discussion on the role of state-owned enterprises, privatization and Association Agreement with the EU in the process of economic transformations in Ukraine together with senior expert on tax reform of the Reanimation Package of Reforms Volodymyr Dubrovsky. Mr.Bielecki shared insights about work of the ministry of European integration he established in Poland in 1990s, following experience of Spain to pave the way of his country to the EU membership. In Poland the ministry was headed by Polish politician, member of the Eropean Parliament Jacek Saryusz-Wolski and was dealing with financial assistance issues related to implementation of Association Agreement and Free Trade Agreement with the EU.

Mr.Bielecki’s visit is a part of #UkraineReforms project embodied by Martens Centre, Kyiv School of Economics, Stronger Together and Reanimation Package of Reforms to communicate and promote reforms in Ukraine.