Nazarii Volianskyi on Ukrainian-Polish business cooperation: highlights from an interview with Polish Radio
In the program “Good Morning” on Polish Radio for Ukraine, Nazarii Volianskyi, Head of Development at the Ukrainian National Lobbyists Association (UNLA) and the Association’s representative in Poland, spoke about new opportunities for Ukrainian business in the EU, prospects for cooperation with Polish entrepreneurs, and challenges posed by the war.
The Ukrainian National Lobbyists Association has just opened an official representative office in Poland. The organization has already been included in the European Union’s transparency register, which allows Ukrainian businesses to work legally and professionally with European institutions.
“We were the first to register the association in accordance with the new Ukrainian lobbying law. This is a transparent mechanism that provides companies with legal support and the opportunity to officially defend their interests in the EU,” Volianskyi said.
Cooperation with Polish business and investments
According to Volianskyi, the Polish Investment Agency reports more than 3,500 companies ready to invest in Ukraine. Even some of these projects will mean a lot of work for lobbyists and lawyers who help foreign companies find partners in Ukraine.
The priority areas of cooperation are energy, energy infrastructure, and the defense industry, including dual-use technologies. Joint ventures have already been established, including PZL Defense as part of the Unimod Group, and Ukrainian companies are represented at major defense exhibitions in Central and Eastern Europe.
According to Wolansky, Poland is a “gateway to the EU” for Ukrainian companies, and an entry point to the Ukrainian market for international businesses.
Business helps to save jobs
Entering the Polish market helps to preserve production facilities and jobs in Ukraine.
“A company from the Cherkasy region is opening a mini-production facility in Poland, but at the same time investing in Ukraine. This is insurance against destruction, and at the same time a way to keep people and economic activity alive,” Volianskyi explained.
The main challenges are energy and infrastructure
Following today’s attack on Kyiv and other attacks, Volyansky emphasized that destroyed and damaged infrastructure remains a key challenge for businesses.
Ukrainian entrepreneurs are increasingly investing in green energy and decentralized solutions to keep their businesses running even during prolonged Russian attacks.
Successful investment examples
Among the successful cases, Nazarii Volianskyi mentioned the investments of Unimotor and Kingspan in Lviv region: the companies are opening factories, exporting products, and creating jobs.
