World Bank financing arm IFC will discuss $2 bln Ukraine package in December

The World Bank's private investment arm will discuss a $2 billion support package for Ukraine at a board meeting in December, Lisa Kaestner, regional manager for Ukraine at the International Finance Corp, said on Thursday.

The IFC expects to cover half the support, which is expected to be extended over the next 18-24 months, from donors, said Kaestner, speaking during the Ukrainian Investment Conference in London. "Most of the international community recognises that the leverage you can get by investing with an IFI (international financial institution) that is focussed on the private sector is a plus," Kaestner said, adding talks with the European Union on this issue were underway already.

Traditionally, focus was on rebuilding the private sector after a war had ended, she added. "What you see in Ukraine is (efforts) to try and keep the private sector alive, it is pretty resilient. But if we can keep it alive then the reconstruction will be much easier later."

Speaking at the same panel, Matteo Patrone, Managing Director at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) said he expected the organisation's lending to Ukraine to reach 1.5 billion euros ($1.55 billion) by year-end. Patrone also said the lender was working on a large liquidity package.

"We need to focus on what is going to happen in the next 12-15 months to make sure we win the war on the economic front,” Patrone said at the event. ($1 = 0.9651 euros)

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