Aivaras Abromavičius: Ukraine and the EU have significant potential for cooperation

The European Union, by integrating Ukraine’s agri-food sector into the community, will become a key player in the global agricultural market.

This opinion was expressed by Aivaras Abromavičius, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Agro-Region Group of Companies, during the online discussion “Three Years of Full-Scale War: The Current State and Prospects for the Recovery of Ukraine’s Agricultural Sector”, organized by the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club Association.

“It would be very unwise for EU countries not to seize this opportunity. Of course, this should be based on a fair agreement with Ukraine, which is why the negotiation process must be guided by common sense rather than populist slogans, including those regarding the use of certain pesticides and the overall deregulation of the industry. The current situation demonstrates that individually, as countries, as markets, as companies, as people, we are weak, but together—we are strong,” he added.

At the same time, Aivaras Abromavičius pointed out that Ukraine is currently receiving significant investments in renewable energy sources, which will provide a competitive advantage in electricity prices in the near future. Moreover, with a well-thought-out policy for attracting labor, including through immigration from friendly countries, the profitability of agricultural production will increase.

“Ukraine must remember that European agricultural issues are sensitive and should avoid using this against itself. Instead, the country should conduct a wise dialogue. We cannot have 100% of the European poultry market or 100% of a particular processed product. We cannot process everything domestically and export only value-added goods—this is unrealistic. Many countries seek to process raw materials within their own borders to create jobs, and we must respect that,” he concluded.

More details from the online discussion can be found in the video: https://youtu.be/aEeJL56IItA