The First Preparatory Meeting on the Reconstruction of Ukraine

[Provisional translation]

On May 15, 2023, Prime Minister Kishida attended the first preparatory meeting on the reconstruction of Ukraine at the Prime Minister’s Office.
 
At the meeting, the participants engaged in discussions on the promotion of the reconstruction of Ukraine by Japan’s public and private sectors.
 
In his address, the Prime Minister said:
 
“At the Japan-Ukraine summit meeting held in Kyiv in March, President Zelenskyy stated that he would like to put every effort into rebuilding infrastructure and preparing new industrial promotion even while Russia’s invasion was going on, and he expressed high expectations for Japan by giving examples of specific fields. I strongly felt how Ukraine was proceeding with steady preparations for reconstruction from a broad perspective even in the midst of a war.
 
Reconstruction will be a pillar of contribution unique to Japan. Ukraine has great expectations for Japan, which has the know-how of post-earthquake reconstruction and solid industrial and technical foundations. Japan, on its part, intends to contribute to the reconstruction of Ukraine under the public-private collaboration and by tapping into the country’s financial strength as well, in areas ranging from landmine removal to infrastructure reconstruction, including roads, bridges, railroads, power transmission, and telecommunications, and industrial reconstruction that will leverage Ukraine’s geographical and competitive advantages. Both the governments of Japan and Ukraine will work together to utilize their ingenuity, so that those who are willing to make contributions, whether they are large enterprises, startups, local municipalities, or non-governmental organizations (NGOs), can join reconstruction projects without feeling exposed to risks posed by the war.”