رئیس بانک اروپایی بازسازی و توسعه:بانک در بحبوحه‌ی تنش‌های جهانی و کاهش کمک‌ها بیش از پیش اهمیت دارد
اودیل رنو-باسو با رد این موضوع که کاهش چندجانبه‌گرایی می‌تواند مأموریت بانک اروپایی بازسازی و توسعه را تهدید کند، از احتمال نقش‌آفرینی این بانک در بازسازی اوکراین پس از جنگ و روند احیای غزه سخن گفت.
لب بیشتر : http://parsi.euronews.com/2025/10/14/ebrd-president-bank-more-important-than-ever-amid-global-tensions-and-aid-cuts
مشترک شوید: یورونیوز به یازده زبان دیگر در دسترس شماست
00:00My guest is Odile Renaud-Basso, the president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
00:14The bank invests in Eastern Europe, Asia and North Africa, and its shareholders include the EU, the US and China.
00:22We talk about the bank's role in the future of Ukraine and Gaza, and about how it's keeping resilient amid global economic instability.
00:34Odile Renaud-Basso, welcome to the show. Thank you for joining us.
00:37Thank you for having me here.
00:39So, your institution, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, was established in the 1990s, primarily to invest in post-Soviet economies after the Cold War.
00:49We now have an active war in the east of Europe, in Ukraine.
00:55Tell us why your bank is investing so heavily in Ukraine while the war is still raging, and how do you hope to play a part in its eventual reconstruction?
01:06So, indeed, we are very active in Ukraine, and we have always invested in Ukraine since the bank was created.
01:14Basically, developing the private sector in Ukraine and in the region is part of the core of our mandate.
01:24When the war started, we decided to, with the support of our shareholders, to set up our level of investment.
01:32So, we used to invest something like $1 billion a year, now we invest, and last year, more than $2.8 billion in the country, because we want to support the real economy.
01:45I think the country is at war, so they have received, and they need military support.
01:50They also need budget support to keep the state, the government functioning, being able to pay civil servants, a pension, and so forth.
01:58But what they also need is support for the real economy, which is what we are doing.
02:05It means, for example, supporting the infrastructure.
02:09There have been, since the beginning of the war, and it's even increasing now, some attacks from Russia on key infrastructures,
02:16such as energy infrastructure, gas production, transport, railway system.
02:23And we've been investing to repair very quickly, as quickly as possible, this infrastructure, develop a more decentralized energy system, repair roads, develop railway,
02:40because this is key for the economy to continue to function.
02:44So, all this is very important to keep the economy going.
02:47It generates tax revenues, it creates jobs, and so this is a way to help Ukraine sustaining the war.
02:53On that question of the energy infrastructure you mentioned, it is being pounded by Russian drone and missile attacks, yet you continue to invest.
03:04Ukraine is now facing its fourth winter since the war broke out.
03:08Is that infrastructure ready for another winter, in your opinion?
03:11I think the infrastructure, I mean, they have been, it cannot never be completely protected.
03:17So, they have been, Ukraine has been extremely effective in repairing very quickly key infrastructure in the network,
03:25building shelters to protect some of the infrastructure so that they cannot be targeted, I mean, they are protected against target.
03:32And also building a more decentralized system, where it's not a big power plant, but you have more decentralized energy generation,
03:41which is a way to avoid concentrating the risk.
03:46On the other hand, Russia is continuing to target.
03:50A few days ago, there had been the largest attack on gas infrastructure, and this creates new challenges.
03:57So, that's why we need to be, as an institution, as a bank, and with the countries that support Ukraine,
04:03need to be very agile in defining the response and providing support depending on the priorities.
04:09And, for example, now, we've been working in the last few months, and still now, with Naftogaz, which is a gas company,
04:15in order to ensure that Ukraine has sufficient gas storage to cover for the winter.
04:21So, you believe that, for this winter, the country should be able to...
04:25There is a new challenge. The country was very well prepared a few days ago.
04:28The new attack creates new challenge. So, it's important to continue to strengthen and to be ready.
04:35You also support Ukraine on its reform agenda, as it aspires to join the European Union.
04:42Now, recently, the Kyiv governments tried to push through a law which would have undermined the independence of two anti-corruption bodies.
04:50Given these developments, are you still confident that Ukraine is on the right path to joining the European Union?
04:56So, I'm confident because, first of all, it's a clear priority for the government, but also for Ukrainian people.
05:03And I think what was very striking is what happened in July, that the government and the parliament took a decision,
05:10but then there were a very strong reaction from the people, from civil society, which really, with the young people,
05:16saying, I mean, reacting against the decision, and together with international partners,
05:22convincing government that it's better to review the decision, and to amend it, and to reinstate the power of this anti-corruption body.
05:31So, I think this makes me very confident, because having the civil society so involved and so reactive to what's going on
05:37is a guarantee of, you know, ensuring that the path is pursued.
05:41Of course, it's not a linear path. You can have some progress, some backtracking, but the direction is very clear.
05:49The commitment and the desire for the whole society to join the EU, I think, is so strong that it's a key driver.
05:56And we see that, for example, we work a lot with state-owned enterprise, where we made a lot of effort and progress
06:03in the governance of the company, so as to ensure that you have intentional expert, independent governing bodies
06:11that manage the company in the interest of the company and its activity.
06:16And we are making also good progress there. Sometimes we are not happy with decisions,
06:20but we always find a solution and find a way to progress.
06:24In the event of a ceasefire, and perhaps even a lasting peace in Ukraine, how do you see the role of the bank evolving in that scenario?
06:31And also, can you foresee any situation where you would return to invest in Russia and Belarus?
06:38So, in the case of, I mean, hopefully we will come soon to reconstruction and with a ceasefire and hopefully a real peace agreement,
06:48because I think for real reconstruction, having a clear visibility and certainty that the war will not start again is important.
06:55If you still have, you remember that Ukraine was in a war since 2014, and this is not very conducive for investment and development.
07:03It was, so hopefully this will be the situation. Then we will step up our investment, and I think our plan is to invest at least 3 billion euros per year.
07:14And we will have, I mean, a lot, there will be a lot of different challenges.
07:17And we already put in place, with the support of the EU and in connection with the IB, and a project preparation facility,
07:24so that, you know, it's up and running and can be very quick when the conditions are better, but it's already helpful now.
07:32And on Russia?
07:34I don't see. For the time being, we have suspended, I mean, any investment and financial relationship with Russia and Belarus.
07:42And I don't see the current circumstances allowing us to start again.
07:46I'd like to turn to Gaza. Now, as we speak, there is a first face of a ceasefire that has been occurred and seems to be in effect.
07:54We know that still the situation, the humanitarian situation on the ground is devastating.
08:00Can you foresee a big role for the EBRD in Gaza's eventual reconstruction?
08:06So, first of all, the recent news is positive. I think it's encouraging, and having a ceasefire will be a very important step.
08:15We've been investing in the West Bank in the last few years, and they're also supporting the private sector,
08:24mostly, and we, I mean, accelerated our investment also in the West Bank.
08:29In the last two years, we invested $200 million, and, I mean, the double of what we've done in the five years before.
08:37And, you know, support investing in the banks, which are really key to keep, they're also to keep the economy going,
08:43to give access to funding for SMEs, supporting some manufacturing plants in the West Bank.
08:52Of course, the needs for reconstruction in Gaza will be huge, and EBRD stands ready.
08:57We have a private sector focus, so I think our role would be more to try to bring, when times come and when circumstances are low,
09:04to bring private sector, or to support financing the private sector in Gaza.
09:10But I think that the first, I mean, the starting point will be really humanitarian and basic infrastructure reconstruction,
09:19but we will be ready when it's possible.
09:22But if that basic reconstruction does proceed, do you foresee that then the bank could step in and play a role quite soon?
09:30I think, yes, we could help, you know, bring, as I was saying, also, if possible, bringing private investors to develop infrastructure,
09:39to rebuild hospitals, to address the needs.
09:43So, but it really very much depends.
09:44Today, it looks like quite, still quite far away, but of course, it will really depend on the political conditions,
09:51and there will be a lot of, I think, all the international community will need to be mobilized for this reconstruction.
09:57Finally, I'd like to ask you about how President Trump, particularly, is embracing quite protectionist policies,
10:08slashing development aid.
10:10He's also made his disdain for multilateralism quite clear.
10:15Isn't this an existential threat for the EBRD?
10:18No, I think that the role of the EBRD, the role of multilateral institutions like EBRD,
10:28is even more important, because we, with the support of our shareholders, including the U.S.,
10:38are very much focusing on how we can develop private sector, market economies, bring foreign investment in the countries in which we work,
10:50ensure that investments are a favorable environment, that we create jobs for people,
10:59and that we have a positive impact on the growth of the country, but also the global growth.
11:06And I think this agenda, which is very much focusing on the private sector, good governance, and so forth,
11:13is very important in the countries in which we operate.
11:17It also helps them building up resilience in a context where there are much more trade tensions, geopolitical tensions.
11:25Building resilience and building your, you know, capacity of the economy to generate and diversify your supply chain,
11:35and so forth, is very important for a country to have sustained growth.
11:38And I think this is an agenda which is even more important than before.
11:42So, I think that we have no, not under threat, on the contrary, our role is even more important.
11:50Odile Renobasso, thank you so much for joining us.
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