A delegation of Japanese officials and business representatives, including Foreign Minister Kiyoto Tsuji, Industry Minister Kazuchika Iwata, and members of Keidanren —Japan's largest business lobby— arrived in Kyiv on Nov. 20 to meet with Ukrainian officials ahead of a reconstruction conference Japan will host.
Their visit aims "to directly hear the needs of the Ukrainian side, formulate concrete projects with the Ukrainian side, and to work together with the public and private sectors to provide assistance to Ukraine," according to the Japanese Industry Ministry.
Japan will host a conference promoting Ukraine's economic reconstruction on Feb. 19 next year, as agreed between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in May during a G7 summit.
Following a meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, his office announced that Japan plans to allocate 160 million euros ($175 million) to finance Ukraine's economic recovery projects.
Shmyhal met with the delegation to discuss the priorities of Ukraine's reconstruction, including energy supply, housing, critical infrastructure, humanitarian demining, and business support, according to the prime minister.
"Ukraine is interested in creating joint ventures (with Japan), especially in the processing industry. Cooperation in the fields of agriculture, metalworking, mechanical engineering, critical raw materials, and IT is important for us," Shmyhal said at the meeting, as cited by the government's website.
"Japan's experience in post-war reconstruction could be useful for the economic recovery of Ukraine."
Martin Fornusek
