Ukraine is expected to sign over 160 agreements worth over 10 billion euros over the next two days at the International Conference on Reconstruction in the Polish city of Gdansk, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko announced today, quoted by Reuters, BTA reports.
She added that the first tranche of 3.2 billion euros of the European Union loan worth 90 billion euros will be announced today.
This information was also confirmed by EC President Ursula von der Leyen during the conference in Gdansk, where Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev is also present.
Von der Leyen said that the promised The Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund, supported by the EU, France, Germany and Poland, is also "ready to launch" and could disburse around €500m this year.
Sviridenko told the event participants about the Ukrainian national tradition of "toloka", in which people gather to rebuild a destroyed house, and compared it to the current reconstruction of Ukraine, Ukrinform reported.
"This is exactly how we approach reconstruction. Together we are taking millions of steps, implementing millions of measures and implementing projects that help us survive, adapt and develop," said the Prime Minister of Ukraine, thanking everyone who supports Kiev and highlighting the assistance provided by Polish partners.
The Ukrainian Prime Minister noted that this is already the fifth Conference on the Reconstruction of Ukraine. She reminded the audience that a full-scale war has been raging in Ukraine for five years, noting that this is the fifth year of losses, but also the fifth year of resistance by the Ukrainian people.
"Unfortunately, we are still paying a huge price for freedom – for European freedom and values. Russia is weakening, but it is becoming more and more aggressive towards the whole of Europe. The challenges facing our continent are existential," Sviridenko noted.
She quoted an expression often used by the Ukrainian military: "You must change or perish".
"This is exactly what Ukraine learned in the conditions of a full-scale war. We were forced to innovate in order to survive, and this has become our superpower,” the Ukrainian Prime Minister said.
According to her, Ukraine is strengthening European defense, energy sustainability, investment and recovery. At the same time, Ukraine is strengthening itself, first of all, thanks to its people - its citizens and all those who provide support - by creating conditions for business development, the return of Ukrainians, job creation and economic growth.
Ukraine is also strengthening itself thanks to its European future, Sviridenko said, recalling that the first negotiation cluster was opened last week, which is a historic moment for Ukraine.