On December 16, the Conference of the German Platform for the Reconstruction of Ukraine “Voices, Visions, Alliances: Joint Reconstruction of Ukraine” was held in Berlin. The event was attended by the Deputy Minister of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine Artem Rybchenko.
The participants discussed strengthening support for the reconstruction of Ukraine, the implementation of joint projects, the development of partnership between Ukraine and Germany, attracting investments and the participation of German business in the reconstruction processes. The event brought together representatives of the governments of both countries, businesses, international financial organizations, partners and the public sector and became a platform for exchanging experience and establishing new partnerships.
“It is a great honor for me to talk about a partnership that we call eye-to-eye-level — equal, honest and based on mutual trust and responsibility. This is how we see cooperation between Ukraine and Germany in the reconstruction and development of our communities, where there is no division into donors and recipients, but rather joint work of teams that make decisions together, work for results and form the basis for sustainable development and the future,” the Deputy Minister noted.
Ukraine is currently experiencing the largest reconstruction of housing and infrastructure since World War II: more than 10% of the housing stock has been destroyed or damaged. According to the results of the Rapid Assessment of Damage and Recovery Needs (RDNA4), Ukraine’s reconstruction needs for the next 10 years amount to 524 billion US dollars.
The Deputy Minister thanked Germany for its support and noted the successful cooperation with BMZ, KfW, GIZ, as well as the partnership between German and Ukrainian communities.
In particular, with the support of the Government of Germany through KfW, Ukraine implemented an affordable mortgage program for IDPs. Within the framework of the initiative, 1053 loans worth over 45.2 million euros have already been issued. Thanks to improved project management and taking into account the recommendations of German auditors, the program has been scaled up: a new stage of the program is currently underway, financed by the Council of Europe Development Bank.
Separately, a new housing program for IDPs from temporarily occupied territories was presented to the partners. This is a new component of the eVidnovlenie, which provides for receiving housing vouchers worth 2 million UAH. The voucher can be used to buy housing, invest in construction, or be used as a down payment or for a mortgage. Initially, the program is available to IDPs with TOT, who have UBD status or are persons with disabilities as a result of the war. The program is planned to be expanded to other categories of IDPs, so Ukraine is interested in partnering with Germany to support this mechanism.
The effective work of the Ukrainian Social Investment Fund, which is actively working with the support of the Government of Germany through KfW, was also noted. The Ukrainian side is ready to scale this model to projects for the energy-efficient reconstruction of kindergartens, schools and hospitals, as well as to create social housing.
On the sidelines of the conference, a bilateral meeting was held between Artem Rybchenko and BMZ Department Director Christine Tötzke, during which the parties discussed the implementation of joint projects and further expansion of cooperation in the field of housing policy and social infrastructure.
The readiness of the German side to participate in the restoration of critical infrastructure, in particular in the areas of drinking water supply, water supply and sewage, which were destroyed due to Russian aggression, was noted.
Artem Rybchenko thanked the German side for the trust and solidarity and assured Ukraine of its readiness to effectively implement joint restoration projects with the participation of German business.
Background
The German Platform for Reconstruction of Ukraine is an initiative of the German Government aimed at supporting non-governmental organizations, agencies and businesses based in Germany and interested in the reconstruction of Ukraine. The platform provides an exchange of information, experience and contacts between potential partners.