Ukraine-Japan Forum on promoting Ukraine's economic recovery held in Tokyo

On August 4, a Forum dedicated to Ukraine's economic recovery was held in the Japanese capital. The event was initiated by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine, with the support of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO).

The Ukraine - Japan Forum was attended by representatives of governments, leading specialized organizations, and businesses from both countries. The main focus of the event was on strengthening ties between Ukraine and Japan, primarily in the following areas:

• energy and infrastructure,
• development of manufacturing and industrial parks,
• agricultural processing,
• and improving business conditions in wartime.

The First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, delivered the opening speech. In her address, the President's wife emphasized that the human dimension must be taken into account in the post-war reconstruction of the state.

“Rebuilding homes and businesses is necessary, but it is not enough. They serve no purpose if there are no people living in them or working there. In Ukraine, we say: 'Help a person recover – and the person will rebuild everything.' That is why one of the most important dimensions of recovery is the restoration of human capital,” the First Lady emphasized.

During the opening of the event, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Taras Kachka and Minister of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture of Ukraine Oleksii Sobolev thanked the Japanese government for its consistent support and contribution to strengthening the economy.

"Investing in Ukraine today means investing in the future of an EU member state. And it is just such an advanced country as Japan that is a reliable partner in rebuilding Ukraine and carrying out the necessary transformations. Together, we are creating a new model of global cooperation — a long-term economic partnership based on mutual benefit and trust," said Taras Kachka.

"Japan is one of our most important international partners. Last year, we signed more than 50 cooperation agreements in Tokyo. This year, we signed an important agreement with UNIDO at URC2025 in Rome. A JETRO Office has opened in Kyiv, and the partnership between the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine and the Keidanren (Japan Business Federation) agency has opened a direct channel of communication between Japanese companies and our Government. During the Forum, we had many meetings with Japanese businesses. Companies are interested in investing hundreds of millions of dollars in various projects in Ukraine. This means that we are doing very practical work for recovery," said Oleksii Sobolev.

Norihiko Ishiguro, Chairman and CEO of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), emphasized the readiness of Japanese businesses to develop partnerships with Ukraine in the areas of critical infrastructure, energy, and technology.

“Support for Ukraine's economic recovery from Japanese businesses is steadily growing, both in scale and quality. The involvement of the public sector is also gaining momentum. I sincerely believe that this Forum will become a catalyst for new business initiatives between companies in our countries,” Norihiko Ishiguro emphasized.

On the sidelines of the Forum, Ukraine and Japan also signed 29 important agreements. These are agreements on the implementation of joint projects in the fields of agriculture and food industry, infrastructure and construction, technology and innovation. Among those are:

A trilateral declaration between UNIDO, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan, and the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine on establishing a dialogue on industrial policy. It aims to deepen cooperation and ensure the effective implementation of a green industrial recovery project funded by the Japanese government. The main objective of the project is to transfer technology and create new enterprises in cooperation with the Japanese private sector. Within the framework of the declaration, the parties agreed to exchange experience and knowledge on industrial policy issues, to promote the creation of new businesses within the project, and to develop new opportunities for industries, using Ukraine's potential and advantages.

A memorandum of understanding and cooperation has been signed between the state-owned company Ukrfinzhytlo and the Japan Export and Investment Insurance Agency (NEXI). It provides for the possibility of cooperation with NEXI and a number of international banks (in particular, Citibank and BNP Paribas) to attract liquidity at below-market rates in order to finance affordable mortgages for eOselia. This will make it possible to expand the program to provide Ukrainians with affordable housing.

The Japanese Fujita Corporation, with the support of the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine, will jointly implement a project to strengthen the supply chain for cooled and frozen products. It is planned to build the appropriate infrastructure and distribution channels for goods.

During the Forum, the Ukrainian side held meetings with the heads of such Japanese industry organizations as the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren), the Japan Export and Insurance Corporation (NEXI), and the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO). They also met with representatives of large Japanese businesses. All of them are currently exploring opportunities to expand their support for Ukraine and discussed various instruments and programs for cooperation.

Representatives of Ukrainian companies that supported the National Day of Ukraine at EXPO 2025 also took part in the thematic panels of the economic forum: Metinvest, Epicenter, Ukrhydroenergo, Naftogaz, DTEK, Oschadbank, Ukrnafta, Kyiv School of Economics, and Biosphere.

Background information

The Ukraine - Japan Economic Recovery Forum was held for the first time, but it is a logical continuation of the intensified economic dialogue between Ukraine and Japan in 2024-2025. The Forum aims to deepen business relations between companies in both countries and discuss opportunities for cooperation between the public and private sectors for the sustainable economic recovery of Ukraine.