JICA President Tanaka visited Ukraine and Poland
2023.08.09
JICA President Tanaka Akihiko visited Ukraine from July 17 to 19, meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky and key Ukrainian government officials, and viewing the site of the Japanese-supported project to remove debris caused by the Russian invasion. Then, on July 20, President Tanaka held an exchange with officials in Poland, and visited the Polish-Japanese Academy of Information Technology (PJAIT) to observe the training of Ukrainian refugees being carried out as part of a joint trial project conducted with the academy.
Ukraine
During his meeting with President Zelensky, thoughts were shared on recovery and reconstruction. President Tanaka stated that Japan would cooperate in the areas of landmine and UXO countermeasures, debris removal, agriculture, and human resource development. He explained that this cooperation would take advantage of the unique skills and knowledge that have allowed Japan itself to recover and reconstruct after numerous disasters throughout the country's history. President Zelensky thanked Japan for its support so far and expressed his hope for further cooperation in the clearing of landmines, etc. He also met with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Yulia Anatoliivna Svyrydenko (First Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister of Economic Development and Trade), Oleksandr Kbrakov (Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine and Minister for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development), Sergii Marchenko (Minister of Finance), Serhiy Kruk (Head of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine) and other government officials, who expressed high expectations for the efforts of Japan and JICA.
President Zelensky and Prime Minister Shmyhal also spoke about the importance of private sector participation and the promotion of Ukraine's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the country's recovery and reconstruction effort and expressed their expectations for Japanese companies to also participate in the rebuilding of Ukraine. JICA already supports the business development of entrepreneurs in Ukraine and is considering further cooperation in the future.
In Irpin, Kyiv Oblast, President Tanaka observed how heavy machinery provided by Japan is being used in the area, which was the site of battle/occupation immediately after the invasion. Here, a pilot project is in development to construct a processing system for the large amount of debris left behind after the withdrawal of the Russian army, with the view to deployment of this system throughout Ukraine going forward. The Mayor of Irpin remarked that they were hoping to push ahead with the removal of debris and were putting the newly arrived machinery into operation as quickly as possible. In response, President Tanaka stated that every effort would be made to continue to support the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine, expressing particularly high hopes for the use of the skills and knowledge that have been cultivated over many years in Japan.
Capacity development of the civil servants who support the rehabilitation and national infrastructure of Ukraine is very important to the long-term development of the country. JICA has provided training programs for Ukrainian civil servants in a wide range of fields, including energy, cyber security, anti-corruption, and waste disposal. During this visit, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed with the National Agency of Ukraine on Civil Service, confirming JICA's intention to continue strengthening its support in this field.
Meeting with Prime Minister Shmyhal
Meeting with Head of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine Kruk
Removal of debris in Irpin
Poland
While in Poland, President Tanaka visited the Polish-Japanese Academy of Information Technology, for which Japan has supported to establish and develop educational programs. JICA is working with this academy to conduct a pilot IT course for Ukrainian refugees. Joint training was also held with other Polish agencies on landmine removal, confirming the important role that cooperation with Poland will play in recovery and reconstruction going forward.
Visit to the Polish-Japanese Academy of Information Technology (PJAIT)
JICA is staying close to the people of Ukraine as they look ahead to the future, even while still during war, and will continue to provide seamless cooperation going forward, making full use of Japan’s knowledge and experience.
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