On 3 November 2020, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and NGO “Internet Initiatives” signed the Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation for the Ukraininan Bridge project to establish mutually beneficial cooperation between the IT-ecosystems of Silicon Valley (USA) and Ukraine.

The parties agreed to unite their efforts in order to promote Ukraine as an innovative digital country, to deepen the cooperation between Ukraine and the United States of America, to advance business opportunities and investments in Ukraine. The Memorandum forecasts public events, business meetings, trainings, seminars and lectures. 

“One of my priorities is to transform the Ministry of Foreign Affairs into a modern digital ministry. We will work together in order to open the world to Ukraine and Ukraine to the world, in particular we will help Ukrainian businesses establish mutually beneficial cooperation with partners from the USA. The synergy of Ukrainian IT specialists and Silicon Valley will result in breakthrough innovations for the  world, while at the same time it will be a possibility for Ukrainian specialists to reach their full potential”, said Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba at the signing ceremony.

The minister added that hundreds of powerful technological companies have already opened their R&D offices in Ukraine: “I am convinced that MFA’s successful cooperation with Ukrainian IT business will attract even more IT-companies to our country. And that’s very good as it will result in new jobs and strengthening of Ukraine’s position on the global digital market’’, stressed Dmytro Kuleba. 

Yevhenia Bespalova, Ukrainian Bridge Coordinator, emphasized the importance of events and programs being organized within the project in partnership with famous Ukrainian entrepreneurs and investors. She believes the project will bring more opportunities of Silicon Valley to the Ukrainian IT-market.  

“We promote Ukraine as a business destination, as a great place for cooperation, we are working on opening development and investment centers to attract investments in Ukrainian companies, startups, infrastructure. The support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine will give Ukrainian Bridge additional significance and energy”, added Bespalova. 

Dmytro Kuleba mentioned that creating opportunities for Ukrainian business abroad is one of the priority areas for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and invited Ukrainian IT-companies to join the renewed Council of Exporters and Investors at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (REI).

The Minister stressed that on the same day the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is organizing an online-briefing with the participation of the Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States and the heads of Consulates General of Ukraine in New York, San-Francisco and Chicago for representatives of Ukrainian business, which indicates systematic efforts made to create opportunities for national companies abroad, in particular in the USA. 

For Reference: Ukrainian Bridge is a platform for promoting Ukraine in Silicon Valley as a world center of innovations, and promoting opportunities offered by the Valley to Ukrainians. The initiators of the project are Yevhenia Bespalova, co-founder and co-owner of We_Challenge company, an honorary citizen of Nebraska State (USA), thought leader in the field of IT according to ITEM, and Yaroslav Azhnyuk, co-founder and co-owner of Petcube, one of the most successful young Ukrainians according to Forbes’ “30 under 30” list.