At the end of the year, the Ukrainian-Swiss Business Association held a meeting of the Board members.The key goals were to summarize the results of 2021 and discuss plans for 2022.

The event was held in a hybrid format: a team from Switzerland met offline in the office of one of the USBA members – GMS – in the Swiss city Baar, a team from Ukraine and the United States joined online via Zoom.

The Ambassador of Ukraine to the Swiss Confederation Artem Rybchenko also took part in the meeting online.

“I want to note that we actively worked together in 2021. There received very positive feedback from our colleagues from political and business circles. I would like to mention the recent signing of the Memorandum between USBA and the Council of Exporters and Investors at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Also all high-level visits in the bilateral direction – visits to both Ukraine and Switzerland. I am absolutely convinced that we have a lot of things to do together next year. In particular, we have a big ambitious project – the Conference of Reforms in Lugano “, – said Mr. Ambassador.

USBA President Dmytro Sidenko welcomed the new members of the Board and thanked all the members of the Association for their active work and fruitful cooperation.

“2021 has become a very active year for us and full of various events. Finally, we started meeting and conducting our events not online, but offline, which immediately increased the level of their effectiveness. After all, everyone can agree, that B2B meetings are more important and productive for business. During 2021, we began cooperating with new partners by signing relevant memorandums. We have become official partners of the most influential Swiss Federation of Small and Medium Business (SGV) and the most influential Ukrainian Council of Exporters and Investors under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which maximizes our opportunities and potential for cooperation between Ukraine and Switzerland. Our Association has welcomed new members. We are very optimistic about 2022, the calendar of which is already filled with concrete plans andexciting challenges. Ukraine and Switzerland have many common points of contact and mutually beneficial interests, so it is a time to scale up our cooperation and achieve new positive results for both countries”, – said USBA President Dmytro Sidenko.

USBA Ukrainian Office Executive Director Olena Solokha presented a brief report of USBA activities in 2021 and future plans for 2022.

In particular, among the important events of 2021 were the following: the beginning of a partnership with the largest Swiss Federation of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SGV); signing of 4 Memorandums of Cooperation (with TechUkraine, with Blockchain Ukraine Association, with the Association of Investment-Attractive Communities, with the Council of Exporters and Investors at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), USBA business reception and business forum in Bern; 2-nd USBA IT-BRIDGE in Zurich and Davos, etc.

Among the important plans for 2022: business forum and support events within the 5th International Conference on Reforms in Ukraine, which will be held in Switzerland (Lugano); 3-rd USBA IT-BRIDGE in March 10-11; business visit of Ukrainian communities to Switzerland; sectoral business activities.