OREANDA-NEWS. System Capital Management (SCM) had been one of leading businesses from Easter Europe which took part in the 17th Economic Forum in Poland held last week, SCM's press-service reported.

The Economic Forum drew together almost 2,000 business leaders, government ministers, politicians and opinion formers from across central and Eastern Europe and the European Union to discuss economic, strategic, and business issues. The Forum takes place each year in the Polish spa town of Krynica around 5-8 September and its aim is to develop improved dialogue and cooperation between European Union countries and their neighbours and strategic partners.

Leading figures attending this year's Forum included former Polish President, Alexander Kwasniewski, former President of the Czech Republic, Vaclav Havel and Mrs Kateryna Yushchenko, the wife of Ukrainian President Victor Yushchenko, who was representing a charitable fund Ukraine 3000.

SCM was represented at the Forum by Director of International and Investor Relations, Jock Mendoza-Wilson. Mr Mendoza-Wilson was one of the speakers at the Forum's discussion panel "Economic Reform in Ukraine: European Choice or Independent Path". Commenting on the Forum, Mr Mendoza-Wilson said, "This is the leading event for the discussion of economic and business issues in the region and it was an excellent opportunity to explain to leading opinion formers the reasons why Ukraine and Ukrainian business want to develop closer integration with the European Union and the benefits of increased market access and economic growth this would bring to Ukraine."

JSC System Capital Management (Donetsk) is the largest Ukrainian managing company, which owns and controls assets in steel, engineering, energy-generating, coal-mining industries, telecommunications, banking, insurance, media and other sectors of the economy. 90% of JSC SCM shares are owned by the Ukrainian businessman Rinat Akhmetov.

The Economic Forum is the most important project of the Foundation Institute for Eastern studies (founded in 1992). Over the period of more than fifteen years, the Forum has become an important and recognised event in Central and Eastern Europe.