Ukraine and Germany strengthen cooperation in the forestry sector

The Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine and the German Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity have signed a Joint Declaration of Intent on cooperation in the field of forestry.

The signing took place during the international Green Week exhibition in Berlin.

The document continues the long-standing Ukrainian-German partnership in sustainable forest management and is based on the Framework Agreement on Technical Cooperation between the governments of the two countries.

The aim of the agreement is to develop modern, ecologically balanced and economically efficient forestry that meets European standards and contributes to the conservation of natural resources.

“Forests are a strategic resource for Ukraine – both in terms of ecological security and economic development. Cooperation with Germany gives us access to advanced European experience, innovative technologies and modern approaches to forest resource management. This agreement opens up new opportunities for implementing the National Forest Inventory, strengthening the climate resilience of the forestry sector and aligning Ukrainian legislation with EU norms,” noted Oleksii Sobolev, Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine.

According to the Joint Declaration, the key areas of cooperation will be:

• development and implementation of forestry policies taking into account European standards;
• support for conducting and utilising the results of the National Forest Inventory in Ukraine;
• measures to adapt the forestry sector to climate change and reduce the negative impact of climate risks;
• introduction of efficient and environmentally safe technologies for the use of forest resources;
• improvement of the economic efficiency of forest management.

The parties have agreed on the exchange of scientific and technical information, organisation of joint training events, exchange of specialists and implementation of joint projects.

A Coordination Council will be established to coordinate cooperation. It will determine work priorities, agree annual plans and facilitate the practical implementation of joint initiatives.

The German side will provide expert and technical support, including the involvement of international specialists and funding for joint projects. For its part, Ukraine will facilitate the organisation of working processes and the involvement of relevant specialists.

The signed Declaration of Intent is concluded for five years with the possibility of further extension and is intended to become an important step in the modernisation of Ukraine’s forestry sector, its integration into the European space and the strengthening of the country’s environmental resilience.