The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and NIBULON, a leader of Ukraine’s agricultural market, signed a USD 50 million loan to continue the implementation of the national project on the revival of cargo transportation on the Dnipro River and the Southern Buh River, and the development of grain logistics. The solemn ceremony was held at the EBRD office in Kyiv on February 15. The loan agreement was signed by Director of the EBRD for Ukraine Sevki Acuner and NIBULON’s General Director, Hero of Ukraine Oleksiy Vadaturskyy.
The loan agreement is part of a large project of cooperation between the company and the bank in the framework of financing of USD 200 million. The project aims to develop agricultural infrastructure and Ukraine’s inland waterways. 
“This project not only helps NIBULON, but Ukraine in general, to increase and expand the opportunities for exports of grain and agricultural products. We do this in a sustainable ecological way by transferring these cargo flows from the railway and from the highways to rivers. We understand the importance of inland waterways and increase in the capacity of the country’s inland waterways”, said Sevki Acuner commenting on the importance of the agreement to Ukraine and the EBED. 
The EBRD is promoting the development of grain logistics in Ukraine by increasing the capacity of the country’s inland waterways and creating associated infrastructure.
He stressed that the EBRD is impressed by NIBULON’s approach which doesn’t provide for the market monopolization but aims to develop river and agricultural infrastructure for all its participants.
“I am especially proud of the fact and I am glad that, although NIBULON wants to develop in this field and be one of the leading players, it doesn’t aim to achieve a dominant position in this sector. Moreover, this initiative will also be implemented considering the need to create and initiate this market in a competitive and financially sustainable reliable way”, he said.
Sevki Acuner also stressed that the agreement continued a long-term fruitful cooperation with NIBULON. “We sign it a day later than we should have signed. We had to sign it on February 14, on Valentine’s Day, to symbolize our love story with this company.  I am very proud, as a person and as a representative of our bank and our organization, that we have already signed the fifth project with this company”, said Sevki Acuner.
According to him, the development Ukraine demonstrates in grain production volumes shows the urgent need for such projects to develop this infrastructure.
“The role of NIBULON in this process and in the development is obvious to everyone, including the EBRD. Therefore, I would like to thank you not only for choosing the EBRD as your business partner, but also for the fact that you contribute to these processes. And you do this in a sustainable and reliable way”, said Sevki Acuner appealing to Oleksiy Vadaturskyy.
In turn, NIBULON’s General Director thanked him for the opportunity of long-term and reliable cooperation with the EBRD.
“I am very grateful to the EBRD management, in particular to Sevki Acuner and his team, for the opportunity to cooperate with such a large bank. Thanks to our cooperation with the EBRD, our company is known not only in Ukraine but also all over the world as one of the most modern companies possessing modern logistics, the company which is engaged in the development of inland waterways and development of the grain infrastructure thanks to support of the EBRD and not thanks to the authorities. We are leaders in all these areas thanks to our cooperation with the bank”, he stressed.
Oleksiy Vadaturskyy reminded everyone about the fact that the company has 2 million tons of elevator capacities. “Someone perceives us as an agricultural company. Someone perceives us as a large shipping company possessing the most modern fleet in Ukraine which is built using Ukrainian metal, flies the Ukrainian flag, and is served in the Ukrainian company by Ukrainians”, he added.  
“We are known as the Ukraine’s representative, the company that exports agricultural products to 64 countries of the world. Therefore, I am very grateful for the opportunity to plan the development of our company for the next 7 years of cooperation with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development”, stressed NIBULON’s General Director.