The inaugural meeting in Kyiv brought together top government officials, including Spain’s First Deputy Prime Minister Carlos Cuerpo and Ukraine’s Minister of Economy Oleksii Sobolev, alongside representatives from over 70 companies. Notable participants included industrial heavyweights such as DTEK, Metinvest, and Nova Post from Ukraine, and global players like Airbus, ACCIONA, and Renfe from the Spanish side.

Mykhailo Bno-Airiian framed the initiative as a strategic shift, highlighting that Ukrainian firms are no longer just external suppliers but active investors in the European Union. He pointed to recent deals, such as MHP’s stake in Spanish poultry producer UVESA and Farmak’s pharmaceutical expansion in Spain, as evidence of this growing interdependence. For his part, Carlos Cuerpo noted that the current level of interest from Spanish businesses in Ukraine is unprecedented, signaling a focus on long-term growth and reconstruction rather than mere recovery. The council aims to formalize these connections, providing a permanent venue for investment and collaborative projects to bolster the economic resilience of both nations.