BERD "ainda mais importante" em meio a tensões globais e cortes na ajuda, diz presidente
Odile Renaud-Basso descarta o declínio do multilateralismo como uma ameaça à missão do Banco Europeu de Reconstrução e Desenvolvimento (BERD) e prevê um papel na recuperação após a guerra na Ucrânia e em Gaza.
LEIA MAIS : http://pt.euronews.com/2025/10/14/berd-ainda-mais-importante-em-meio-a-tensoes-globais-e-cortes-na-ajuda-diz-presidente
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00:30Odeel Renou-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.
00:50We now have an active war in the east of Europe, in Ukraine.
00:54Tell 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?
01:05So, indeed, we are very active in Ukraine and we have always invested in Ukraine since the bank was created.
01:15Basically, 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 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.
01:35Now 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.
01:59But what they also need is support for the real economy, which is what we are doing.
02:05It means, for example, supporting the infrastructure.
02:08There 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.
02:24And we've been investing to repair very quickly, as quickly as possible, this infrastructure,
02:31develop more decentralized energy systems, 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 sustain the war.
02:53On that question of the energy infrastructure you mentioned, it is being pounded by Russian drone and missile attacks,
03:02yet 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,
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,
03:38but 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.
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 challenges, 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,
05:14which really, with the young people, saying, I mean, reacting against the decision,
05:20and together with international partners, convincing government that it's better to review the decision
05:25and 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 ensuring that the path is pursued.
05:41Of course, it's not a linear path.
05:43You 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,
05:59where we made a lot of effort and progress in the governance of the company,
06:05so 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.
06:18Sometimes we are not happy with decisions, but 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,
06:28how 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?
06:39So in the case of, I mean, hopefully we will come soon to reconstruction and with a ceasefire
06:45and hopefully a real peace agreement, because I think for real reconstruction,
06:50having 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,
06:59and this is not very conducive for investment and development.
07:03It was, so hopefully this will be the situation.
07:06Then 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
07:22and a project preparation facility so that, you know, it's up and running
07:26and can be very quick when the conditions are better.
07:30But it's already helpful now.
07:32And on Russia?
07:34I don't see.
07:34For the time being, we have suspended, I mean,
07:37any 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.
07:48Now, as we speak, there is a first face of a ceasefire that has been occurred
07:52and seems to be in effect.
07:55We 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?
08:05So, first of all, the recent news is positive.
08:09I 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.
08:37And, you know, support investing in the banks,
08:39which are really key to keep, they're also to keep the economy going,
08:43to give access to funding for SMEs,
08:46supporting 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,
09:01when 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
09:15and very basic infrastructure reconstruction.
09:19But we will be ready when it's possible.
09:22But if that basic reconstruction does proceed,
09:26do 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,
09:33also, 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,
09:47but of course it will really depend on the political conditions
09:50and there will be a lot of, I think,
09:52all the international community will need to be mobilized for this reconstruction.
09:57Finally, I'd like to ask you about how President Trump, particularly,
10:04is embracing quite protectionist policies, slashing development aid.
10:10He's also made his disdain for multilateralism quite clear.
10:15Isn't this an existential threat for the EBRD?
10:19No, I think that the role of the EBRD,
10:23the role of multilateral institutions like EBRD
10:27is even more important
10:31because we, with the support of our shareholders,
10:36including the U.S.,
10:38are very much focusing on
10:41how we can develop private sector,
10:45market economies,
10:46bring foreign investment in the countries in which we work,
10:49ensure that investments are a favorable environment,
10:55that we create jobs for people,
11:00and that we have a positive impact on the growth of the country,
11:05but also the global growth.
11:06And I think this agenda,
11:08which is very much focusing on the private sector,
11:11good governance, and so forth,
11:13is very important in countries in which we operate.
11:17it also helps them building up resilience
11:19in a context where there are much more trade tensions,
11:23geopolitical tensions,
11:25building resilience and building your, you know,
11:29capacity of the economy to generate
11:32and diversify your supply chain and so forth.
11:36It's very important for a country to have sustained growth,
11:38and I think this is an agenda
11:39which is even more important than before.
11:42So, I think that we have not under threat,
11:47on the contrary,
11:47our role is even more important.
11:50Odile Renobasso, thank you so much for joining us.
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