France continues to support Ukraine’s recovery

Even before the full-scale invasion of russia, the French Republic has been systematically supporting projects in Ukraine. Since 2022, the level of this support has increased significantly. There are currently several areas of French assistance, including the development of railway infrastructure, cooperation in the field of air transport, the reconstruction of Chernihiv region and, in particular, the Chernihiv Drama Theatre.

This was emphasised by Oleksii Kuleba, Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine and Minister for Communities and Territories Development, during a meeting with Pierre Heilbronn, Special Envoy of the President of France for Ukraine’s Relief and Reconstruction.

“France’s support is very important for our country’s struggle: from strengthening the Armed Forces to helping with the reconstruction. Now our goal is to prepare infrastructure for the needs of our citizens from the frontline areas, from peaceful cities and for our military. The scope of our cooperation is wide, and we sincerely welcome France’s assistance,” said Oleksii Kuleba.

According to the Minister, under the grant agreement with the French Republic, the submission and selection of recovery projects is carried out through the DREAM ecosystem. It is expected that EUR 200 million will be received through the Fund for Support of Critical Infrastructure and Priority Sectors of the Ukrainian Economy.

The bilateral cooperation also includes a project to support Ukrzaliznytsia. According to the preliminary agreement, the French party is to supply 19,000 tonnes of railway rails, which will allow the renewal of 150 kilometres of tracks. The first batch of deliveries is scheduled for January 2025.

Pierre Heilbronn, the French President’s Special Envoy for Ukraine’s Relief and Reconstruction, stressed that he looked forward to continued cooperation.

“I am very enthusiastic about starting work with the new Minister. We will strengthen our cooperation in key areas such as infrastructure projects and decentralisation,” Pierre Heilbronn said.

Oleksii Kuleba emphasised that Ukraine was interested in continuing two joint projects – water supply in Kyiv and work in the field of air transport. Despite the fact that Ukraine’s skies are currently closed to civil aviation, the Ministry of Infrastructure continues to support it. The Ukrainian side is interested in supporting the restoration of the air navigation system and expanding the training programme for the staff of the Ukrainian State Air Traffic Services Enterprise.

Pierre Heilbronn, in turn, stressed that all joint projects were moving dynamically and were constantly evolving. In its bilateral cooperation, France focuses on supporting Ukrainian regions and local government development, as well as specific critical infrastructure projects.