By Kateryna Choursina
(Bloomberg) -- Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim is
interested in investing in Ukraine’s infrastructure,
according to his representative.

Slim’s son-in-law Fernando Romero, who met Prime Minister
Volodymyr Hroisman and other leaders during his trip earlier
this week, said in an interview in Kiev that the nation has a
“huge” potential. Slim is the world’s sixth-richest person,
according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index ranking.

“We will analyze the potential of ports. We are interested
in the potential of Ukraine in terms of airports and in
architecture as a tool for development,” Romero said Tuesday.
“We are convinced that there are serious opportunities in
different areas.”

Fernando Romero (r) is married to Soumaya Slim, a daughter of Carlos Slim (l). In Mexico, Romero has designed three museums, the G-20 Convention Center in Los Cabos, and Mexico City’s massive new airport. Slim’s diverse investment portfolio includes toll roads, hydroelectric dams, and water-treatment plants.

[Romero, aged 45, is an eminent Mexican architect. In collaboration with Norman Foster, of Britain, Romero’s firm, fr.ee, designed the $9 billion New Mexico City International Airport, which is under construction. Among a long list of investments, Carlos Slim owns 16.8% of The New York Times, the largest holding outside the founding Sulzberger family. Interfax reported that Romero visited Black Sea ports and Gostomel. Antonov's Kyiv airport, accompanied by Ivan Ogilchyn, his adviser for investment in infrastructure and agro-industry in developing countries.]

Ukraine needs foreign investments to help boost business
activities and economic growth amid the war with Russia-backed
separatists and a slowdown in reforms required by a $17.5-
billion loan program agreed with the International Monetary
Fund. The government needs to push through with a farm land
reform, revamp its pension system and step up anti-corruption
efforts to qualify for next IMF tranche and support its renewed
access to financial markets.

“The current moment is very challenging but future
potential in terms of reforms can actually make this more
attractive land for investors,” Romero said, adding Ukraine’s
achievements in the past three years, including the association
agreement with the European Union are “remarkable.”

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman briefed the Cabinet of Ministers on the government’s five priority bills for the Rada session this fall, including educational reform. (UNIAN/Vladislav Musienko)

To contact the reporter on this story:
Kateryna Choursina in Kiev at kchoursina@bloomberg.net