Stefan Vanoverbeke, a Belgian who is IKEA’s regional executive, said Wednesday after meeting President Poroshenko: "It's the right moment for IKEA to be here, when we look at the business climate and the opportunities." Poroshenko was more ebullient. He tweeted: “IKEA is coming to Ukraine!” Then, he told reporters: “The investment boom that is taking place today is a bright sign of confidence in Ukraine by global investors."
Analysts focus on IKEA’s squeaky clean image and its two previous attempts to enter Ukraine over the last 13 years.
Iryna Gerashchenko, first deputy Rada speaker, writes on Facebook: “The arrival of the Scandinavians in our market is a good signal for other investors. I hope all anti-corruptionists will welcome the arrival of the investor publicly, as a real result of our joint efforts in building a transparent economy, a free market, fighting corruption and bribes." Concorde Capital’s Zenon Zawada writes: “For a decade now, IKEA has been for Ukrainians a barometer of Western integration and fighting corruption, particularly since it developed a reputation of refusing to abide by any corrupt practices. So when the first store opens in several months, it will be celebrated (particularly by politicians) as Ukraine’s latest success in Western integration.”