On the eve of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s historic first visit to South Africa on 24 April, SAIIA partnered with the Embassy of Ukraine to host Ms Yulia Svyrydenko, the First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister of Economy at our Head Office in Johannesburg.
Ms Svyrydenko spoke on the topic ‘Growing the Economy in Times of War: Valuable Lessons for Global Economies on Overcoming Crisis’. She spoke powerfully about the economic measures taken by Ukraine since February 2022 to cope with Russia’s full-scale invasion and the subsequent war. She outlined the Ukrainian government’s strategies to support the relocation of businesses, ensure operational continuity in key industries and protect essential state services. The country has proved remarkably resilient in this destructive conflict.
She was also joined by Ukraine’s Agrarian Policy and Food Minister Vitalii Koval, various other members of the delegation and the Ukrainian Ambassador to South Africa.
The closed seminar offered valuable lessons for other economies navigating crises or affected by global instability.
