EU could soften travel recommendations for specific regions of Ukraine – Belgian Special Envoy
The lack of clear, moderate travel recommendations from EU countries regarding their citizens’ travel to Ukraine has negative consequences for insurance companies and artificially limits opportunities for business and investment with Ukraine, believes Jan De Paw, Belgium’s Special Envoy for Ukraine at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, according to an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent.
"I think there is no EU country that provides completely safe travel recommendations or even moderate recommendations for different regions of the country, with the possible exception of Great Britain," he said at the fourth Ukraine Resilience business forum, organized by the Luxembourg-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce (LUCC) in Luxembourg on March 4.
"I think no other European country has softened these restrictions. They have consequences for insurance companies, which then do not want to provide support, or want to do so only under very strict conditions," the Belgian special envoy explained.
In his opinion, investors and entrepreneurs are fully capable of distinguishing between the western and eastern parts of Ukraine and the relative risks they bear there.
Regarding obstacles to attracting investment from the Ukrainian side, De Paw drew attention to the ban on land sales to foreigners and restrictions on the repatriation of profits abroad.
"We have, for example, a Belgian agricultural entrepreneur who is present in Ukraine and would now like to expand his activities and buy land, but it is impossible. You can lease it. But as an investor, you think: why should I lease land as an agricultural investor? I would like to buy it," the Belgian special envoy explained.
He added that he understands these restrictions are linked to martial law.
"But they need to be resolved so that investors become interested," De Paw believes.