President To Meet With Oligarchs.

PM Yurii Yekhanurov announced that President Viktor Yushchenko had invited 30 large business leaders to meet with him today to discuss problems, and work out agreements that would put an end to reprivatization. Yekhanurov said that the business leaders had agreed to pay additional sums of money for companies that were bought at well below market price. The Prime Minister added that the ?oligarchs? were tired of facing the threat of prosecution and wanted to reach a fair agreement that would allow them to play by the rules. According to Yekhanurov the government has come up with a legal formula that would allow the owners of large businesses to bring their companies out of the shadows without having to fear that in a few years the government would demand more money. Concorde Capital:  If everything Yekhanurov says is true today?s meeting could be a watershed moment for Ukrainian business. As we have been saying since last year, the best way out of the reprivatization mess, for both sides, is to reach an agreement that will allow the owners of the disputed companies to pay up for their companies. Yushchenko?s popularity has taken a hit lately do to his efforts to bridge the gap between east and west. Many people feel betrayed by the President?s negotiations with his former rival Viktor Yanukovich. However, Yushchenko said that he is not negotiating with Yanukovich but trying to reach the 22 mln people who voted for him. This meeting looks in line with his efforts to unify a divided country in order to move forward economically. Regardless of what happens it is good news for investors, as it looks like peace between the government and business is on the horizon.