Japan's Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki announced on May 11 that his country would provide $1 billion in financial aid to Ukraine's neighboring countries that have taken in refugees, CNN reported.
"Besides confirming the results of our financial aid [to Ukraine] so far, we would also like to discuss how to strengthen our cooperation with international financial institutions and help Ukraine's neighboring countries, including in taking in Ukrainian refugees," Suzuki said, as quoted by CNN.
During a visit to Kyiv in late March, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that his country would help Ukraine "with the greatest effort to regain peace."
In mid-April, Japan signed an agreement to give Ukraine a $400 million grant toward reconstruction efforts.
Under the economic recovery program, funds will be allocated primarily to humanitarian assistance, including the supply of medical equipment, demining, and education, among other initiatives.
In addition to the grant, the Japanese government pledged $70 million for recovery efforts to the UN Development Program. In total, Japan plans to donate more than $600 million to Ukraine’s reconstruction for the year.