Ministry for Communities and Territories Development and EBRD discuss strategic priorities for recovery and reforms
A delegation from the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development and representatives of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) met to discuss ongoing initiatives, strategic priorities for sectoral reforms, and further cooperation in Ukraine’s reconstruction.
The Ministry was represented by First Deputy Minister Aliona Shkrum, Deputy Ministers Andrii Kashuba, Maryna Denysiuk, and Andrii Bratus, as well as Serhii Sukhomlyn, Head of the State Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development. The EBRD delegation was led by Mark Bowman, Vice President of the Bank.
The discussion primarily focused on the need to develop public-private partnership (PPP) projects, which will play a significant role in regional reconstruction. Some of these projects will be presented at the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) 2025.
“Special attention should be given to the restoration of frontline regions. This is essential to ensure people do not abandon their homes. We are currently observing a shift in economic activity from the east to the west due to internal displacement and business relocation. Supporting these communities is crucial, as it concerns not only recovery but also the country’s economic stability. Therefore, we ask the EBRD to create additional incentives and encourage investment in frontline regions, as PPP projects are otherwise unfeasible there,” Aliona Shkrum noted.
The parties also discussed the importance of reforming public investment management and the need for flexible planning amid wartime conditions.
“The Ukrainian Government is actively working on a Medium-Term Plan for Priority Public Investments, a key element of three-year budget planning. This plan will identify priority sectors for investment, enabling communities to prepare projects for inclusion in the Single Project Pipeline for 2026. Public investment management reform is complex and comprehensive, and communities need additional support to develop high-quality projects,” Maryna Denysiuk stated.
The discussion also covered port infrastructure development. The Ministry is preparing concession projects for seaports, particularly in Chornomorsk, to attract investment for infrastructure modernisation. The EBRD actively supports these initiatives.
“We sincerely value the EBRD’s support on concession-related matters. This assistance is highly valuable and important to us. Additionally, the Ministry is reviewing a feasibility study for a ferry complex, prepared with EBRD support. Based on this, we are drafting a project efficiency conclusion for the PPP project. This project will be submitted to the Ministry’s working group for review and, upon approval, forwarded to the Ministry of Economy for external endorsement,” Andrii Kashuba emphasised.
The Ministry also proposed that the EBRD join a collaborative project in cybersecurity, specifically the establishment of an Industry Centre of Excellence for Cybersecurity.
“The Centre will serve state-owned enterprises in the transport, infrastructure, heating, and water supply sectors, providing centralised cybersecurity services, including incident response, monitoring, data backup solutions, and specialised training,” Andrii Bratus explained.
The meeting also addressed the implementation of a joint EBRD project, “Development of the Trans-European Transport Network,” aimed at improving access roads to border checkpoints on Ukraine’s western border. This includes increasing the capacity of existing transport connections, reducing logistics costs, and ensuring faster freight transport between Ukraine and the EU. Under the first tranche of EBRD funding, work is already underway on the major repair of the Ternopil – Lviv – Rava-Ruska road.
The Ministry expressed gratitude to its EBRD partners for their consistent and principled support for Ukraine during this challenging time, particularly for their active role in recovery and long-term reconstruction efforts.