First US-Ukraine Business Forum to Take Place in July - US Commerce Dep't

The first US-Ukraine Business Forum will be held in Washington, DC in July to show US commitment to support Ukraine’s private sector, the US Department of Commerce announced in a statement.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Cabinet members from both the US and Ukrainian governments will participate alongside business leaders from the private sector, according to the US Department of Commerce.

“The US-Ukraine Business Forum that will take place on July 13 in Washington, DC, is a signal of the US Government’s commitment to supporting Ukraine’s transformation into an economy led by the private sector and grounded in the rule of law,” US Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker said in Tuesday’s statement.

Pritzker explained that the forum aims at engaging relevant stakeholders across various industry sectors in Ukraine, including agriculture, IT, energy, and infrastructure.

“The forum will bring US CEOs and business leaders into direct dialogue with top Ukrainian policymakers so that the ideas and know-how of American business can be brought to bear in tackling Ukraine’s economic challenges,” the statement read.

Ukraine’s economic woes were aggravated after the Kiev government began a military operation against the self-proclaimed republics of Luhansk and Donetsk in the country’s east in April 2014.

Ukraine’s currency, the hryvnia, has been extremely volatile and has taken several plunges since February 2014.