The Mayor of Mykolaiv, Sienkevych, spoke at a forum in Bulgaria and outlined investment opportunities

Mykolaiv Mayor Senkevich spoke at a business forum in Bulgaria. Screenshot from the poster

The Mayor of Mykolaiv, Oleksandr Sienkevych, took part in the Expats Investment Summit, which took place on 6–7 June in Varna, Bulgaria.

Videos and photos of Oleksandr Sienkevych’s speech at the forum were shared by participants on social media, according to NikVesti.

In the event programme, Oleksandr Sienkevych was introduced as the mayor of Mykolaiv, who has led the city since 2015, holds a PhD in Economics and is Ukraine’s sole representative on the Board of Directors of the Global Covenant of Mayors.

Oleksandr Sienkevych at the EXPATS Investment Summit in Bulgaria. Screenshot from social media

The organisers also highlighted his work in managing the city amidst a full-scale war, rebuilding infrastructure and collaborating with international partners.

As Mykolaiv has been designated a UN pilot project for the post-war reconstruction of Ukrainian cities, during his speech Oleksandr Sienkevych gave a presentation dedicated to the city. In particular, the slides presented the Mykolaiv Industrial Park project, the advantages of Mykolaiv’s transport location, its strategic importance for Ukraine, as well as the Master Plan and the City Development Strategy up to 2027.

During a panel discussion on the investment potential of Ukraine and Bulgaria, Oleksandr Sienkevych spoke about the specifics of investing in Ukrainian regions in wartime. According to him, high risks can lead to higher returns for businesses.

«Just so you understand, as a businessman, I know what business is all about. So what is business about? It’s about profits. What does profit depend on? On risks. In other words, the more risks you take, the higher your profits will be. If you have low-risk operations, the margin will be two, three, five, maybe up to twelve per cent. But if it’s a high-risk business, you can get thirty or forty per cent. So, speaking of today, in Mykolaiv, as in most of Ukraine, you can find good, promising investment opportunities,» said Oleksandr Sienkevych.

Oleksandr Sienkevych at a business forum in Bulgaria. Screenshot from social media

Oleksandr Sienkevych at a business forum in Bulgaria. Screenshot from social media

Among the promising areas for investment, he mentioned the energy sector, particularly projects related to energy storage.

The mayor also urged forum participants not to wait for ready-made solutions, but to propose changes themselves and back up their ideas with economic calculations.

«We say: the legislation will change. Let’s change it. Let’s be, as Mahatma Gandhi said: If you want to change the world, be the change. Let’s generate ideas and propose them not just in words. We need to convert our thoughts into an economic model and show what it will deliver,» he told the event’s participants.

Oleksandr Sienkevych speaks at a forum for entrepreneurs in Bulgaria. Screenshots

Oleksandr Sienkevych speaks at a forum for entrepreneurs in Bulgaria. Screenshots

In their Instagram posts, participants spoke positively about the Mykolaiv mayor’s speech. In particular, one participant wrote that she «was completely captivated by the speech», whilst another described it as «an incredible combination of deep expertise, sound reasoning and a wonderful sense of humour that had the audience hooked from the very first minute».

Mykolaiv Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych told the business community about investment opportunities in Mykolaiv. Screenshots

Mykolaiv Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych spoke to the business community about investment opportunities in Mykolaiv. Screenshots

According to the event organisers, the forum brought together around 150 entrepreneurs from Sofia, Varna, Burgas and other Bulgarian cities to discuss business development, investment and new opportunities for cooperation.

Among the forum participants were Anatolii Petrov, a current member of the Mykolaiv City Council from the «Propozytsiia» party, and Maksym Brevda, the mayor’s adviser on entrepreneurship and sports development and founder of the «MriiDii» entrepreneurs’ club. They joined the discussion on business development, investment and international cooperation.

Mykolaiv Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych with the organisers and participants of the business forum in Varna. Screenshots

Mykolaiv Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych with the organisers and participants of the business forum in Varna. Screenshots

Ivan Plachkov, former Minister of Fuel and Energy of Ukraine, former head of the Odesa Regional State Administration and president of the All-Ukrainian Energy Association, also took part in the panel discussion alongside Oleksandr Sienkevych.

It should be recalled that in April 2026, Serhii Korenev, Deputy Mayor of Mykolaiv, spoke at the «RECOVERY CONSTRUCTION FORUM UKRAINE» conference in Kyiv and presented the city’s experience in reconstruction processes. That same month, Ihor Nabatov, Deputy Director of the Department of Housing and Communal Services, and Ihor Filippov, Head of the Mykolaiv Development Agency, travelled to Japan on a working visit to study reconstruction practices.