Ukraine, together with seven countries of the Carpathian region, has established a new regional cooperation format — Carpathian 8 (C8). The initiative brings together Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Romania, Hungary, Austria and Serbia. The inaugural summit of the new group is taking place in Bukovel on September 18–20.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the launch of the format on September 18 during the first Carpathian 8 summit. According to him, the participating countries intend to develop cooperation across several areas, including security, energy, logistics, cross-border economic ties and support for local communities.
The summit is attended by heads of state and government from C8 countries. Participants in Bukovel include Romanian President Nicușor Dan, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary are also represented.
A separate part of the summit is focused on economic cooperation and investment attraction. Zelenskyy said that investment and trade agreements worth approximately €1 billion had been prepared as part of the economic program.
According to the Ukrainian president, around 550 business representatives from Carpathian Eight countries are participating in the economic section of the event. “Investment and trade agreements worth one billion euros have been prepared,” Zelenskyy said, referring to preparations for the summit’s economic agenda.
In addition, the organizers are presenting a broader pipeline of investment opportunities. As part of the Investment Lab, 90 projects requiring a total of $10.7 billion in investment are expected to be presented.
The proposed projects cover several sectors that are key to the region, including energy, logistics, industry, infrastructure and agri-food, as well as other areas of the economy. The investment component of the initiative is therefore focused not only on individual businesses, but also on infrastructure development and stronger economic links between countries in the region.
According to the summit program, the Carpathian Economic Forum is also opening on September 18, featuring speeches by C8 leaders and events involving business representatives and investors.
The creation of the Carpathian Eight brings the political, infrastructure and economic agendas of the region’s countries together within a single cooperation format. For Ukraine, the summit’s economic component includes the promotion of specific investment projects worth $10.7 billion and the signing of prepared investment and trade agreements totaling approximately €1 billion.
