Kiev expects NATO membership to boost number of investors

MOSCOW. Oct 13 (Interfax) - Investors' interest in Ukraine would heavily depend on security guarantees, and the country's NATO membership is likely to boost this interest, Ukrainian media quoted Rostislav Shurma, deputy head of the presidential office, as saying at an international economic forum in Kiev on Thursday.

If the crisis ends positively for Ukraine and it becomes a NATO member, its economy will be growing annually by more than 10% for several years, Shurma said. However, if the crisis is protracted, even though risks are partially covered by insurance instruments, growth could be within 3%-6%, and this process as such would be much longer and more complicated, he said.

As the crisis is lingering, foreign investors have adjusted their views and plans concerning possible investments in Ukraine, which was evident from a recent meeting in the U.S. with major investment funds such as BlackRock, Blackstone, Citadel, and JP Morgan, he said.

Those investors who were earlier looking forward to entering Ukraine once the crisis was over have somewhat adjusted their view on the situation now, he said.

"They are looking for instruments so as, on the one hand, to benefit from opportunities provided by Ukraine, and on the other, to minimize the great risks that are involved with investments in Ukraine. Therefore, indeed, their vision is undergoing some transformation," Shurma said.

A search for alternative instruments and financial solutions is a logical process, he said.