Minister of Energy of Ukraine German Galushchenko met with the leadership of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The meeting was attended by Director General of the JICA Middle East and Europe Department Hideki Matsunaga, Director of the JICA Office in Ukraine Osamu Hattori, other representatives of the Agency, as well as representatives of the Embassy of Japan in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian side was also represented by Deputy Minister of Energy for European Integration Yaroslav Demchenkov and Deputy Minister of Energy for Digital Development, Digital Transformation and Digitalization Farid Safarov.
The minister informed the Japanese side about the consequences of constant russian missile attacks on the Ukrainian energy infrastructure. He stressed the need for urgent repairs of energy facilities, as power outages caused by russian shelling were especially painful for citizens during the cold season.
The parties discussed the needs of Ukrainian energy companies and emergency support from Japan to ensure stable operation of the energy system.
In the first phase of assistance, Japan will provide Ukraine with 242 generators, as previously agreed. Part of the generators will be delivered to Ukraine in mid-December.
The process of agreeing on the specifications of equipment for the second package of assistance is currently underway. The second stage will include the supply of transformers, switches, disconnectors, cables, wires, insulators and other equipment.
“We are now looking for all possible ways to ensure urgent repair of power facilities destroyed by russia and need strong support from the international community. We are very grateful to Japan for the support of Ukraine, especially in terms of assistance with equipment that our energy companies need urgently,” German Galushchenko said.
The Japanese side expressed support to the Ukrainian people and confirmed its readiness to further assist and deepen cooperation.
The participants of the meeting also discussed the prospects and opportunities for cooperation to restore the energy sector of Ukraine in the long term. In the context of the future restoration and development of the Ukrainian energy system, the Japanese side expressed interest in providing professional expertise in view of its experience in applying the best practices of energy efficiency and promoting innovative approaches to sustainable development of the energy sector. (Government portal/Business World Magazine)