BUSINESS AND CIVIL SOCIETY INSTITUTIONS DEVELOPMENT

Ukrainian Financial Group has always been an active contributor into the market reform, democratisation and civil society development processes in Ukraine.

In 1991 Ukrainska Birzha, a UFG predecessor company, was an initiator of the establishment of the USSR Exchanges Congress, which became one of the first entrepre­neur associations in the former Soviet Union.A year later, UFG was a co-founder of the Ukrainian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (USPP). the most influential entre­preneur association in Ukraine since gaining independence, and in 1993 - a co­-founder of East European Entrepreneur Association, a public organisation that pro­motes democratisation and market reform processes in Eastern and Central Europe and FSU, representing businessmen from Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, former Yugoslavia, the Baltic States, Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. In 1994, UFG founded the All-Ukrainian Union of Entrepreneurs representing the interests of Ukraine's small and medium-size busi­nesses. Mr. Valery G.Babich, the founder, first President and CEO of our company, played an outstanding role in all these initiatives, and was elected Chairman in all above-mentioned public organisations.

UFG is widely involved in sponsor and charity activities in Ukraine, supporting the initiatives on the nation's cultural and spiritual rebirth. UFG sponsors the activities of the All-Ukrainian Christian Association, a political party that unites representa­tives of all major confessions encompassing two-thirds of Ukrainian Christians. UFG was an initiator and co-founder of the International Christian Charity Fund supported by Christian organisations from Ukraine, Europe and the US. Within its activity, the Fund organised a donation cam­paign for restoration of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a medieval monastery that is one of the greatest Orthodox holy places, as well as other Orthodox temples in Ukraine. The Association also sponsors Christian seminars and confer­ences and supports the disabled people, orphans and the poor. UFG has been actively participating in the activities of the Ukrainian Culture Fund and Taras Shevchenko Charity Foundation. The Group sponsors various projects in the support of Ukrainian science, education, culture, arts and literature aimed at Ukraine's culture and morality rebirth, and supports initiatives on the development of civil society in Ukraine, including, among the others, the support of free press. UFG sponsored reprinting of The History of Ukraine-Rus, a fundamental 11-volume work by Dr. Mykhailo Hrushevsky, Ukraine’s famous historian and President of Ukraine during the country's first attempt to win independence at the beginning of the 20th century, and contributed funds to the construction of the monument to Mykhailo Hrushevsky in Kyiv. UFG has invested over US$ 2 million in these activities.

UFG has stepped into the new mil­lennium with new plans and prospects, efficient technologies and solid position in many areas of the domestic and inter­national markets. We are further striv­ing for strengthening our competitive­ness with the focus on the success of our shareholders, partners and clients, catering vital needs of Ukraine and its people.