Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine Oleksii Sobolev met with a delegation from the Swiss Confederation led by Ambassador and Federal Council Delegate for Ukraine Jacques Gerber. The negotiations also included Deputy Ministers Taras Vysotskyi, Andrii Teliupa and Pavlo Kartashov.
The parties discussed the implementation of an intergovernmental agreement, the launch of new business support programmes and the development of Ukraine’s industrial potential.
The agreement between the Governments of Ukraine and Switzerland, once ratified, will enable the allocation of non-repayable aid for the modernisation of infrastructure and industry. Procurement will be conducted through open tenders managed by SECO, the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs. Only Swiss companies with a registered legal entity in Ukraine will be eligible to participate in these tenders.
Currently, under the existing Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture SECO has already selected the first projects involving Swiss companies.
“I am pleased to see the high level of interest from Swiss businesses in Ukraine’s reconstruction. Within the framework of SECO’s first tender, 12 projects worth over CHF 93 million have already been selected. We are grateful to the Swiss Government for their decision to continue cooperation and prepare for the next tender. This is a clear signal of confidence in Ukraine’s economic potential and the readiness of European companies to invest in its recovery,” said Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture Oleksii Sobolev.
One of the priorities within this cooperation is the development of the Industrial Ramstein initiative, which involves international support for Ukrainian industry through equipment supplies, joint production, and investment attraction. Ukraine provided the delegation with a list of equipment from Swiss manufacturers needed to restore affected enterprises. To participate in SECO tenders, Swiss companies must have a legal presence in Ukraine, so the parties agreed to work together to encourage interested manufacturers to establish representative offices or localise their operations in the country.
The Ukrainian side also presented a concept for reducing insurance costs for businesses operating under wartime conditions. This includes two tools: compensation for losses in case of damage to real estate in high-risk zones and partial reimbursement of insurance premiums across Ukraine.
The parties also discussed other key areas of cooperation:
– Preparation for the second SECO tender, focusing on investment projects;
– Launch of a support programme for Ukrainian companies;
– Assistance in reforming UkraineInvest;
– Support for infrastructure in horticulture and digital services for SMEs. (Government portal)