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  • Svitlana Grynchuk: Ukraine and Japan have a long-standing partnership in environmental protection

    Ukraine and Japan are long-standing friends and partners in environmental protection. Svitlana Grynchuk, Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, emphasised this during a meeting with Masashi Nakagome, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Ukraine.

    “In the history of our countries, there are similar environmental challenges, such as dealing with the consequences of nuclear disasters and the problem of managing destruction waste. We have a rich history of joint projects that are already yielding results and are becoming even more relevant in times of war,” said Svitlana Grynchuk.

    The Minister briefed the Ambassador on the joint work of Japanese and Ukrainian experts in the areas of energy efficiency, climate change and waste management, as well as the work under the joint lending facility supported by JICA. Of particular importance today are areas related to overcoming the consequences of hostilities, including the introduction of new technologies and attracting Japanese investment in the “green” reconstruction of Ukraine.

    The parties also discussed the prospects for the development of the Chornobyl zone. Masashi Nakagome mentioned his visit to the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant and agreed that the exclusion zone had a huge potential for scientific research and implementation of green projects. The partnership in this area has every chance of gaining global recognition.

    “We raised the issue of attracting investments in the subsoil use sector. Ukraine is actively working to improve the conditions for investment in this area and update geological data. Japan’s experience can be valuable for improving our geological services,” said Svitlana Grynchuk.

    According to her, the dialogue on Japan’s participation in the implementation of point 8 of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Peace Formula on environmental safety and the development of green principles for reconstruction is ongoing. In this context, the work that has already been done is particularly important, as the “green” principles will cover all areas of life during the post-war recovery.

    The Minister congratulated Masashi Nakagome on his appointment as Ambassador of Japan to Ukraine and thanked him for his support. The Ambassador expressed hope for further expansion of cooperation between the two countries.