02.06.2026
Ivan Grygoruk, Vice President of Energy Club, Has Joined the Newly Established Ukraine-France Business Council.
The emergence of this permanent body marks a new stage of economic interaction aimed at attracting French investments, implementing joint recovery projects, and facilitating the entry of Ukrainian companies into the markets of France and the EU.
Logical Continuation of Strategic Partnership
The creation of the Business Council was a direct result of agreements reached within the Joint Ukrainian-French Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation, which met on February 3, 2026, in Kyiv. It was then that the co-chairs of the Commission — Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine Oleksii Sobolev and French Minister-Delegate for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness Nicolas Forissier — announced the launch of the France-Ukraine Business Council.
On May 28, 2026, the inaugural meeting of the Ukrainian part of the Council took place in Kyiv at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Ukraine (and online). The participants formed the leadership, approved the structure, and defined key strategic areas of activity. Serhii Koretsky, CEO of Naftogaz of Ukraine, was unanimously elected as the Chairman of the Ukrainian part of the Council.
Transition from Political Dialogue to Contracts
Gennadiy Chyzhykov, President of the CCI of Ukraine, outlined the main tasks of the newly created body in his speech:
“It is important for us that this Council is a living, working mechanism. Its main task is to move from political support and general dialogue to specific projects, partnerships, investment decisions, and contracts. Today, we are defining the key directions in which the Council’s work will develop. These are energy, logistics, military tech, water supply and water resources, as well as the agricultural sector.”
These are the areas where Ukraine has strong expertise, real needs for recovery, and great potential for cooperation with French business circles, whose partner side is led by Xavier Jera with the support of the MEDEF International association.
The Council includes representatives of the largest Ukrainian companies and specialized institutions (in particular, Naftogaz of Ukraine, Ukrhydroenergo, Ukrzaliznytsia, Metinvest, MHP, UGA, UCAB, and UkraineInvest).
Energy Vector and the Role of Energy Club
The participation of Energy Club and the presence of the community’s Vice President Ivan Grygoruk in the Council will provide additional profile expertise in the energy sector, which is currently one of the most critical for Ukraine’s resilience. Joint work within the Energy Committee of the Council will focus on the following priorities:
“Today, the Ukrainian energy sector is going through unprecedented challenges, and its recovery requires not just quick repairs, but a fundamental modernization according to the highest European standards. The Energy Club community unites over 100 leading companies in the energy sector of Ukraine. We are ready to contribute as much as possible with our expertise, analytics, and a deep understanding of internal market processes. We will work side by side with French partners for the recovery and transformation of the domestic energy sector, turning challenges into successful joint projects,” emphasizes Ivan Grygoruk.
Next Steps
In the near future, a joint mixed meeting of the Ukrainian and French parts of the Business Council is planned, where a detailed step-by-step action plan will be formed and the practical work of specialized committees will be launched to create a specific portfolio of bilateral business opportunities.
