The conversation focused on continuing work on joint projects and expanding cooperation. The meeting was attended by Deputy Ministers of Communities and Territories Development Alyona Shkrum, Maryna Denysiuk, Oleksii Ryabykin, Natalia Kozlovska, Head of the Recovery Agency Serhii Sukhomlyn, and Director of the Ministry’s Investment Policy Department Artem Husak.
The World Bank was represented by Robert Som, Regional Director for Eastern Europe, Same Nahib Wahba, Regional Director for Sustainable Development in Europe and Central Asia, Sevara Melibayeva, Program Manager for Eastern Europe, and others.
After taking the floor, each of the deputies outlined the priorities of their respective areas for the World Bank representatives.
.jpeg)
First Deputy Minister Alyona Shkrum emphasized the importance of strategic cooperation with the Bank on a wide range of projects and thanked her colleagues for their support.
“We are grateful that in such a difficult period we are not only maintaining our cooperation with the World Bank, but also establishing new directions. We already have stable cooperation in many areas, such as housing, decentralization, and social infrastructure. Right now, we are preparing the RDNA4 report together. Working together to modernize water supply systems is one of the most important areas for us. I am grateful to my colleagues for their support in developing the National Program for the Reconstruction and Rehabilitation of Water Supply and Sewerage, as well as for supporting relevant projects.
For Ukraine, which highly values cooperation with such an international partner as the World Bank, it is important to ensure the comprehensive implementation of agreements and maintain our relations. We continue to work on this,” said Alyona Shkrum.
.jpeg)
At the end of June this year, the Second Urban Infrastructure Development Project, funded by the World Bank, will be completed. It is one of the largest infrastructure projects in Ukraine. The project has replaced water supply, sewage, and solid waste management systems in 14 communities. In the near future, thanks to the latest restructuring of the project, it will be possible to provide emergency assistance for the purchase of specialized equipment for the frontline cities of Sumy region.
Oleksiy Ryabykin spoke about the Ministry’s recent progress on the regional development track. He noted that close cooperation with communities and smoothing out development imbalances are important tasks today.
“It is important that when formulating regional development strategies, communities set clear goals and understand how much money they need for this. Our big task for 2025 is to teach communities to form investment portfolios and prioritize projects. In particular, thanks to the DREAM system. We are now completing the 3rd stage of the Ukraine Recovery Program. Only communities with well-formed project proposals can participate in it.
Also, nowadays, regional policy for us is no longer just about equalizing development imbalances, but also about uniting communities. The project “Side by Side: Cohesive Communities” should become a powerful tool for this, thanks to which communities from different regions of Ukraine will be able to cooperate to implement joint projects,” the Deputy Minister said.
According to Oleksiy Ryabikin, the priority is also to update the Concept of Reforming Local Self-Government and Territorial Organization of Power. He emphasized that the Ministry will develop tools within the framework of its new powers received this year. These include reintegration of the temporarily occupied territories and work with internally displaced persons.
Maryna Denysiuk spoke about how the Ministry is finalizing the Rapid Damage and Recovery Needs Assessment (RDNA4) report, which the Government of Ukraine, together with the World Bank, European Commission and the UN, started preparing on November 8.
“We have received a draft report on RDNA4 from the World Bank. By the end of the week, we expect to receive comments from all involved ministries.
We are actively working to create conditions for attracting private investment that will accelerate the process of reconstruction and transformation of Ukraine on its way to European integration.
In setting the recovery priorities for 2025, we take as a basis the public investment projects included in the Single Project Portfolio (SPP) formed as part of the PIM reform. As well as priority programs and areas that are not included in the SPP. For example, compensation programs for damaged and destroyed housing, protection of energy facilities, and humanitarian demining,” emphasized Maryna Denysiuk.
The presentation of RDNA4 is scheduled for mid-February this year.
.jpeg)
Natalie Kozlovska, in turn, emphasized that housing policy remains an important area of cooperation for Ukraine, expressing hope that the Bank will continue to support the development of the National Housing Strategy. She thanked her colleagues for their support in rebuilding Ukraine, in particular through the HOPE project aimed at repairing damaged housing.
The Deputy Minister also emphasized the importance of the Bank’s involvement in the development of the social housing project, as this will help support the most vulnerable categories of Ukrainians: internally displaced persons and veterans.
Follow the pages of the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development in social networks Facebook, Twitter, Telegram та WhatsApp