First visit to Berlin: President Volodymyr Zelensky in dialogue with German business representatives

Berlin. On 18 June 2019, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, travelled to Germany for the first time in his role as the Ukrainian head of state. In Berlin, he met with Chancellor Angela Merkel and German business representatives – including the CEO of the Wilo Group, Oliver Hermes.

“The Wilo Group has been active in Ukraine for more than 20 years. Despite all of the challenges in the region at present, the Wilo Group can report that business is generally developing positively. Today, the Ukrainian market is a stable pillar of our business operations in Eastern Europe,” said the Wilo CEO.

During the exclusive meeting with the Ukrainian head of state, there was a particular focus on the topic of energy efficiency. In some parts of Ukraine, the pipes, pumps and plants in the drinking water and sewage sector are heavily outdated and ramshackle. This results in high water losses at 38 % as well as high levels of energy consumption.

“The sharp increase in previously subsidised water tariffs, combined with continuously rising energy prices, also necessitates investment in energy-efficient technologies,” said Oliver Hermes during the high-powered summit with the Ukrainian President. “As a supplier of smart, energy-efficient solutions, we at Wilo Group are in a position to make a crucial contribution to modernising water infrastructure and drastically reducing energy requirements.”