Good day, dear ladies and gentlemen!

Dear Mr. Chancellor!
Dear Mrs. President of the European Commission!
Dear President of the European Council!
Dear Mr. Secretary General of the OECD!

Dear ministers, experts, guests of the conference!

This is Oksana. On October 10, she took her son to kindergarten and went to work at the hospital. Oksana saved children from oncology. A russian missile killed Oksana in the center of Kyiv, in the middle of the street.

This is Victoria. Victoria was soon to become a mother. On October 17, an Iranian drone killed Victoria, her husband, and their unborn child. russia destroyed a life that did not even have time to be born.

This is 11-year-old Artem. A russian missile hit his house. Artem was laiying under the rubble of the house for 6 hours. Rescuers and doctors fought for him, but the russian missile did not give him a chance.

This is the life that Ukrainians live today. Only in October, the terrorist country released more than 300 missiles and drones, which were supposed to explode, burn, destroy ordinary people, their houses, playgrounds, streets...

If I woke up - it means I was lucky enough not to be killed by a russian rocket. Every Ukrainian wakes up and goes to bed with these words for 8 months. russia has brought great pain, tears, destruction, and death to our land.

Sometimes it even seems that the world has started to get used to it. Getting used to those things that a year ago they could not even imagine. To talk about Ukraine’s recovery as a distant prospect. To think how many years experts need to form the Reconstruction Plan and how many decades to implement it.

I know that together with you, we do not just a lot, but sometimes an incredible amount. We are moving not just fast, but at a speed that was impossible just a couple of years ago. We do everything possible, and sometimes the impossible. And for that, we sincerely thank each and every one of you.

But we have to work even better and faster. We have to respond more quickly to the challenges that are presented to us every day, every hour.

***

The purpose of today's event is an expert conference. Its result should be thorough calculations of exactly how Ukraine should be rebuilt step by step.

It is very important to calculate everything correctly. But it is no less important to start restoring everything that the aggressor destroyed today.

We are doing everything we can. More than 60% of our budget goes to defense, 16% to social programs, 13% to medicine and education. At the same time, we were able to allocate almost 125 million euros for a rapid recovery. This will be enough for only 5% percent of damaged objects. That's why we need your help.

I know that in some circles the idea is wandering - first end the war, and then we will talk about recovery.

You may ask, why we need to restore heating plants, if tomorrow they can be destroyed again? - because people should live, not freeze.

You may ask, why we need to rebuild damaged enterprises if a missile can fly there again? - because people have to work.

You may ask, why we need to restore bridges, roads, and hospitals? - because people need place where to be treated and cars with humanitarian aid, with your humanitarian aid, reached those who are in need.

Recovery right now and the development of the Recovery plan are not contradictory, but complementary. We have to work in both these directions.

***

In Lugano, we approved the principles on which Ukrainian recovery should be based. And we do our "homework".

Example. "Ukraine will lead the recovery process and implement it together with all international partners." Our joint Reforms Delivery Office has collected comments and proposals for the draft Recovery Plan from representatives of 14 countries, UN agencies, the Representation of the European Union in Ukraine, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the World Bank Group, the European Investment Bank, the Japanese international cooperation agency (JICA), a number of international organizations and institutions.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development carried out a thorough examination of the draft Recovery Plan.

Our Government received more than 300 proposals from 163 representatives of businesses and NGOs in Ukraine. They have been worked out by working groups and appropriate changes have been made to the sections of the Plan. And still, it’s flexible to any changes.

We fulfill our obligations.

***

Another example. "Ukraine will continue rapid reforms." Since June of this year, we have been a candidate for EU membership. Since October, an OECD prospective Member country. This membership perspective is a powerful incentive for reform, we are transforming every day.

We continue to implement the Association Agreement. By the end of 2022, we plan to adopt about 100 EU standards for various industries.

Business deregulation, privatization, systemic customs reform, Government reform, increasing the targeting of assistance to citizens and businesses, liberalization of the labor code, digitalization and expansion of electronic services. All these things happen against the backdrop of war.

Despite all this, we fulfill our obligations.

***

Let's go further. «Transparency and accountability». In Lugano, all of us said that hundreds of billions of US Dollars are needed to restore Ukraine. Some said that these are unrealistic amounts.

Therefore, the Government of Ukraine, together with the teams of the World Bank and the European Commission, presented a report on the damage caused by the war. As of June of this year, the verified needs for recovery already amount to 350 billion US Dollars. The World Bank report is transparent and accessible to everyone.

Ukraine has already adopted the necessary legislation for the creation of the Fund for Liquidation of the Consequences of russia's Aggression within the framework of the state budget of Ukraine. And the President of Ukraine announced the creation of state fund for recovery of our country.

Spending funds from the budget - both Ukrainian and any other civilized country - is more than a public and transparent process. It is not possible to hide anything, all donors know and see the direction of distribution of the donated funds. Each of their directions is a separate agreement. It is signed by members of the government of Ukraine. Funding directions are clearly indicated there.

We fulfill our obligations.

***

There are many such examples. I think that within the framework of this conference you will hear in more detail about all our developments. We do our job. We adhere to all principles.

But it is time to move on to the implementation of the Plan. According to the RDNA report, verified by the World Bank, we need $17 billion for rapid recovery.

This estimate does not take into account the losses from the updated tactics of the russians whose goal is to create a humanitarian catastrophe by destroying the infrastructure for the supply of electricity, drinking water and heat on the eve of winter. The genocide of Ukrainians and the migration tsunami in the EU are russia's new plans.

One of the Lugano principles is "united in defense - united in recovery". Thus, our task is to quickly and effectively respond to new challenges as quickly and effectively we respond to military threats within the framework of the Ramstein group.

That is why the Government of Ukraine wants to invite all partners to start Financial coordination platform and meetings. Under the co-chairmanship of the USA, the European Union and Ukraine, we have to regularly hold meetings of the ministers of finance of the G7 countries and other partners, leaders of international financial organizations, including World Bank, IMF, EBRD, EIB and OECD.

The purpose of these meetings is to coordinate financial assistance to Ukraine, determine directions for priority and long-term recovery, as well as sources of their financing. We need to coordinate funding approaches and consider military risk insurance options. And in the end, to find a solution, how to most effectively confiscate or use the frozen russian assets for the recovery of Ukraine.

In addition, these meetings will provide an opportunity to develop policies and principles that will become universal mechanisms for the recovery of any country that has suffered aggression and will form a plan for strengthening the EU around the Recovery Plan of Ukraine.

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Finally, I would like to thank Germany and Chancellor Scholz for organizing this event and for the unchanging and principled position of solidarity with Ukraine.

Thanks to the President of the European Commission, Mrs. Ursula von der Leyen, for all the support you provide - from finances and weapons to already 8 packages of sanctions against the aggressor, which help us to win this war.

Our gratitude to the OECD Secretary-General Mr. Cormann for all his efforts in favor of Ukraine.

I would also like to express special thanks to our friends from Poland, Switzerland, the USA, Eastern Europe, and the Baltic countries, who have provided us with an unprecedented level of assistance over 8 months.

We are grateful to all the countries and organizations that are now back-to-back with us in our struggle for our freedom and independence. We believe that our victory will be the beginning of a renewed and stronger Europe as well as a better world.

Thank you for supporting Ukraine!