KYIV, Feb 1 – Sweden’s IKEA, the world’s largest furniture retailer, on Monday opened its first store in Ukraine after nearly 20 years of talks as the company seeks to expand in one of the largest countries in Eastern Europe.

"Today's store opening underlines the desire of IKEA to develop its activities in Ukraine,” Florian Mellet, who leads IKEA in Ukraine, said. “Today, when each of us pays special attention to a comfortable and safe stay at home, we strive to inspire Ukrainians to improve their home space."