On April 13–17, DiXi Group President Olena Pavlenko and Research Director Roman Nitsovych participated in the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group as part of the RRR4U think tank consortium delegation.
The team held meetings with representatives of international financial institutions, think tanks, and civil society organizations. Among the key engagements was a meeting with World Bank Executive Director Eugene Rhuggenaath representing a constituency that includes Ukraine. The conversation focused on approaches to IFIs support for Ukraine, particularly in the context of reconstruction, and on the role of civil society organizations.
“Ukraine’s core request to its partners remains ensuring financial and security support, while the positive momentum in dialogue between the government and international donors continues. The DiXi Group team emphasized the importance of financing infrastructure projects, applying risk-mitigation instruments, and ensuring community participation in project implementation. We also highlighted the need to systematize Ukraine’s experience in the energy sector as a model for other countries,” said Olena Pavlenko following the meetings.
The parties agreed to continue exchanging analytical materials. DiXi Group experts also met with advisors to the World Bank Executive Director representing Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and others, to discuss the pace of reforms in Ukraine – including the most challenging areas.
During meetings with IMF representatives, the need for clearer communication of EFF structural benchmarks to Ukrainian stakeholders, including Members of Parliament, was raised.
“Special attention was paid to energy sector reform – the gradual phase-out of public service obligation (PSO) mechanisms and the transition to market-based pricing for all consumers, the role of the Ministry of Energy in coordinating engagement with the IMF, and support for strengthening the independence of NEURC. As a result, it was agreed to hold a dedicated working meeting between IMF and DiXi Group experts to coordinate efforts on energy markets liberalization,” said Roman Nitsovych.
The meeting with World Bank representatives – including Vice President for Europe and Central Asia Antonella Bassani and Kyiv Country Manager Bob Saum – additionally addressed the potential involvement of DiXi Group experts in providing technical assistance for energy sector reforms. Discussions also covered the implementation of regional and municipal resilience plans in Ukraine, including the financial requirements for preparing critical infrastructure for winter.
As part of the trip, DiXi Group Research Director also participated in a Civil Society Policy Forum (CSPF) event and a reception at the Ukrainian House attended by Ukraine’s official government delegation.
“This series of meetings centered on a systemic question: how to move Ukraine’s support from crisis-response mode to long-term investment. We emphasized the need for structured medium-term financing instruments, de-risking for the private sector, and the sharing of experience – particularly in energy resilience – with other member countries,” said the Research Director of DiXi Group.
The visit was made possible thanks to the support of the International Renaissance Foundation as part of the “Advocating for Ukraine’s economic and financial resilience through reforms in the energy and adjacent sectors” project.
