During the week, three working meetings were held – consultations with the Government of Ukraine represented by the Ministry of Development, the Ministry of Finance and other responsible ministries – on the consideration of the second round of applications under the Ukraine Investment Framework (UIF) mechanism. Representatives of the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Commission also participated in the meetings. The key topic of the meeting was the agreement on the portfolio of recovery projects that would receive additional financing for the coming years in priority areas.
Representatives of the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine, the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine joined the meetings. Deputy Minister Maryna Denysiuk joined the meeting from the Ministry of Development.
The projects considered during the consultations cover the main areas of activity of the Ministry of Development and Infrastructure: transport, housing and municipal infrastructure and services. In order to use resources as efficiently as possible within the UIF instrument, a clear priority and sequence of new financing tranches were determined in accordance with urgent needs.
“Cooperation within the Ukraine Investment Framework is strategically important for attracting financing to the public and private sectors. We are working to coordinate financing plans in such a way that they meet urgent needs and at the same time contribute to the long-term development of our infrastructure,” said Maryna Denysiuk.
Separately, a new EIB application was considered within the UIF mechanism, which includes additional financing for new and already ongoing projects. The topic was the status of preparation and implementation of joint initiatives aimed at integrating Ukraine into the European transport space, solving housing issues of citizens, energy efficiency and rebuilding social infrastructure.
During the consultations, significant attention was paid to the financing of projects in the transport sector. In particular, the development of border infrastructure on the western border and the renewal of railway infrastructure were discussed. Also, strengthening the financial stability of Ukrzaliznytsia.
The meetings also discussed the financing of projects to address housing issues of citizens and the restoration of social infrastructure, namely the repair of damaged residential buildings, thermal modernization of public buildings and the arrangement of safe shelters.
Work on finalizing the technical aspects and plans for the disbursement of funds for the above-mentioned projects is ongoing. The next stage is a meeting on the technical assessment of projects in January and approval of the allocation of additional funding for projects at the Steering Committee in early March. (Development Ministry)