First of all, First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oleksandr Korniyenko thanked Estonia for its sanctions policy and military and financial assistance: "This may create economic problems for you, but you are still on our side." The First Deputy Chairman also thanked for the help of temporary refugees from Ukraine and participation in the restoration of Ukrainian territories.
The members of the Ukrainian delegation highlighted that many Ukrainian business owners are defending Ukraine at the frontline. They noted that this is also one of the aspects of this war, perhaps not very public abroad but well-known in Ukraine, as many prominent business figures are either at war or engaged in powerful humanitarian aid. "This means that Ukrainian business now needs help, particularly from countries such as Estonia," the Ukrainian delegation said.
The Ukrainian delegation also noted that from the beginning of martial law, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted acts that will seriously liberalize the Ukrainian economy.
At the same time, in Ukraine, the conditions for business are tough. For example, only in Mariupol, a third of the country's metallurgical market was destroyed or stopped working. "But even in these conditions, people continue to pay taxes, even in advance, thus supporting the country and the Armed Forces of Ukraine," the Ukrainian delegation said.
"When we talk about the principles and mechanisms of reconstruction, we would like Estonian companies to get involved in this issue by providing funds and technology, knowledge, and participation of specialists," said Arseniy Pushkarenko, Head of Interparliamentary Relations with Estonia.
The Minister of Entrepreneurship and Information Technology of the Republic of Estonia, Andres Sutt, noted that Estonia has supported the implementation of sanctions against Russia from the very beginning and will continue to do so. "Yes, it affects the Estonian economy, but freedom is priceless," he said.