On February 19, representatives of Japan, Ukraine** and business organizations gathered in Tokyo for the Japan-Ukraine Economic Reconstruction Promotion Conference.
The Japan** delegation, led by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, pledged long-term support for Ukraine's recovery through public-private partnerships. The Ukrainian delegation, led by Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal, thanked Japan for its assistance and invited Japanese companies to invest in Ukraine's reconstruction. The delegations consisted of more than 100 people and companies, with a total of about 300 people and 130 companies participating. The two countries** agreed to cooperate in seven key areas: mine clearance and debris clearance, humanitarian assistance and reconstruction, agricultural development, biotechnology, digital and information technology, transport and energy infrastructure, as well as anti-corruption and governance measures.
In his keynote speech, Prime Minister Kishida referred to supporting Ukraine's recovery from the war as "investing in the future" and called on the international community to contribute. In his speech, he said, "Japan's public and private sectors will leverage the knowledge accumulated in Japan's post-war and post-disaster reconstruction efforts and work together as a nation." Promoting economic reconstruction is not only an investment in Ukraine's future, but also in Japan and the world. "Prime Minister Kishida outlined new initiatives by Japan's public and private sectors in support of Ukraine and announced that Japan will relax entry visa requirements for Ukrainian citizens participating in Japan-Ukraine cooperation projects.
Prime Minister Shmygal thanked Japan for its continued assistance and Prime Minister Kishida's visit to Ukraine in 2023. "Today's meeting is a step forward in the continued development of relations between the two countries," he added. Shmygal referred to the economic achievements of Japanese companies in Ukraine so far and invited companies to further invest in the upcoming "Ukrainian economic miracle". He highlighted that key sectors such as energy, agriculture and infrastructure offer investment opportunities with strong growth potential.
Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to cooperation and the importance of the private sector in Ukraine's reconstruction.
The meeting published 56 documents, including the inter-governmental agreement. The two countries** signed an agreement on the elimination of double taxation aimed at supporting Japanese companies to invest in Ukraine. At the same time, the two sides signed a bilateral credit agreement, exchanged views on emergency recovery grant assistance, and committed to cooperation in the field of education and technology.
Other documents include agreements between institutions and individual businesses and commercial organizations. Japanese companies have signed agreements with Ukrainian enterprises and institutions on the development of energy facilities, reconstruction of infrastructure, mine clearance, etc.
Japan has been providing humanitarian and other assistance to Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022. Through the public-private partnership announced at this meeting, Japan plans to leverage its technical expertise and experience in post-disaster recovery and reconstruction to strengthen its support for Ukraine.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida emphasized how Japan can contribute to Ukraine's post-war reconstruction. (*Cabinet Secretariat, Cabinet Publicity Office).
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (right) and Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal (left) agree to move forward with Ukraine's reconstruction. (*Cabinet Secretariat, Cabinet Publicity Office).