EBOR staje się „jeszcze ważniejszy” w obliczu globalnych napięć i cięć pomocy, mówi prezeska
Odile Renaud-Basso nie widzi w upadku multilateralizmu zagrożenia dla misji Europejskiego Banku Odbudowy i Rozwoju (EBOR) i przewiduje jego rolę w powojennej odbudowie Ukrainy i Gazy.
CZYTAJ WIĘCEJ : http://pl.euronews.com/2025/10/14/ebor-staje-sie-jeszcze-wazniejszy-w-obliczu-globalnych-napiec-i-ciec-pomocy-mowi-prezeska
Zasubskrybuj nasz kanał.Euronews jest dostępny na Dailymotion w 12 językach
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 Ukraine, 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, 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, such 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, because 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?
03:12I think the infrastructure, I mean, they have been, it cannot never be completely protected.
03:16So, they have been, Ukraine has been extremely effective in repairing, very quickly, key infrastructure in the network, building shelters to protect some of the infrastructure, so that they cannot be targeted.
03:30I mean, they are protected against target, and also building a more decentralized system, where it's not a big power plant, but you have more decentralized energy generation, which is a way to avoid concentrating the risk.
03:46On the other hand, Russia is continuing to target, a few days ago, there have 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, need 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, in 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. The new attack created a 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, but then there were a very strong reaction from the people, from civil society,
05:14which really, with the young people, reacting against the decision and, together with international partners, convincing 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 is 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 in the governance of the companies,
06:05so as to ensure that you have international experts, independent governing bodies that 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, but we always find a solution and find a way to progress.
06:23In 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.
07:08And I think our plan is to invest at least 3 billion euros per year.
07:13And 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 project preparation facility,
07:24so that, you know, it's up and running and can be very quick when the conditions are better.
07:30But it's already helpful now.
07:32And on Russia?
07:33I 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 phase 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.
07:59Can 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.
08:10And having a ceasefire will be a very important step.
08:15We've been investing in the West Bank in the last few years.
08:21And they're also supporting the private sector mostly.
08:25And we, I mean, accelerated our investment also in the West Bank.
08:29In the last two years, we invested 200 million.
08:31And, I mean, the double of what we've done in the five years before.
08:36And, you know, support investing in the banks, which are really key to keep the economy going,
08:43to give access to funding for SMEs, supporting some manufacturing plants in the West Bank.
08:50Of course, the needs for reconstruction in Gaza will be huge.
08:55And EBRD stands ready.
08:57We have a private sector focus.
08:58So, 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.
09:09But 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,
09:36bringing private investors to develop infrastructure, to rebuild hospitals, to address the needs.
09:43So, but it really very much depends.
09:45Today it looks like quite, still quite far away.
09:47But, of course, it will really depend on the political conditions.
09:50And 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.
10:14Is this an existential threat for the EBRD?
10:18No, I think that the role of the EBRD, the role of multilateral institutions,
10:26like EBRD, is even more important.
10:32Because we, with the support of our shareholders, including the US,
10:38are very much focusing on how we can develop private sector, market economies,
10:46bring foreign investment in the countries in which we work,
10:49ensure 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 countries in which we operate.
11:17It also helps them building up resilience in a context where there are much more trade tensions,
11:23geopolitical tensions.
11:25Building resilience and building your capacity of the economy to generate and diversify your supply chain,
11:34and 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.
11:43So, I think that we are not under threat, on the contrary, our role is even more important.
11:50Odile Renobaso, thank you so much for joining us.
Be the first to comment