Southern Ukraine Launches Development Projects With EU

Kyiv, May 29, 2012. EU launched two development projects for southern Ukraine. They involve facilitating FDI increase to the Black Sea port Sevastopil and tourism development in Crimea. José Manuel Pinto Teixeira, Ambassador, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine, presented both projects.

One of the projects – Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Promotion in Sevastopil – will be implemented in 2012-2014. Major project objective is to establish a fully operational Investment Promotion Agency, as the project aims at institutional strengthening and capacity building of the regional tourism industry. Moreover, experts involved in the initiative will prepare detailed business plans for select FDI projects.

FDI Promotion in Sevastopil also will identify investment success stories while helping Sevastopil create an image of an attractive investment destination. The project budget is estimated at EUR 1.9 million.

Sevastopil used to be an important naval citadel. These days the city is exploring its potential in other areas, besides military. José Manuel Pinto Teixeira noted that the interests of Sevastopil were no longer defined by the military as the city started a different life.

Another project launched by Teixeira was Crimean Tourism Diversification and Support in Yalta. The EUR 5 million endeavor will help improve local government efficiency in the field of tourism. Over the three years, dedicated to the project (2012-2014), the city of Yalta is set to diversify the range of tourist oriented services, improve their quality, and maintain sustainability of the industry. A team of Dutch, Irish, and Italian companies won the tender to implement the project.

“With its natural beauty and strategic location on the shores of the Black Sea, Crimea has a very big business and tourism potential. With some support from the EU, we hope to help the citizens of Crimea use and benefit from this potential to its fullest,” said Teixeira, reports the official Web site of the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine.

José Manuel Pinto Teixeira also checked upon Promotion of Social Infrastructure Development in Crimea project, carried out in Ukraine since 2008. Ukraine received EUR 3.1 million in grants from the German government for the project, set to be completed in 2014. The German funding was used to renovate schools, kindergartens, rural cultural centers, roads, etc. Additionally, Teixeira visited the International Bakhchysarai Tourist Center, financed by the Czech Republic.