Ukraine recovery conference held in the Hague
A conference on the reconstruction of Ukraine in the post-war period is being held in The Hague, Netherlands.
Government officials, representatives of Dutch businesses, in particular, companies already working on various projects related to the reconstruction of Ukraine, and those who plan to join and help attend the event, Ukrinform reports.
To get to the hall where the conference was held, the event participants had to go through a symbolic tunnel with photos showing the consequences of russian aggression.
On the Ukrainian side, the conference was opened online by the Deputy Head of the Office of the President, Kyrylo Tymoshenko. He emphasized that Ukraine highly values the support of the Netherlands. He also noted that it is essential for Ukraine to quickly find a solution for the urgent restoration of critical infrastructure, which russia attacks daily with cruise missiles and Iranian-made kamikaze drones.
"russia is purposefully destroying critical infrastructure facilities, and every day, often under fire, we are trying to restore what has been destroyed, to prevent electricity, heat, and water from being turned off across the country. The number of destroyed facilities is increasing, becoming increasingly difficult. Currently, more than 30% of facilities are destroyed. This is done deliberately because their goal is to leave our country without light and heat on the eve of winter," he said.
Tymoshenko emphasized that today Ukraine needs the support of the Netherlands to survive the winter so that Ukrainians have electricity and water supply in their homes. In particular, we are talking about special equipment that can ensure the functioning of mobile and stationary heating points for the population.
He also said that about 100,000 destroyed infrastructure objects had been recorded in all regions of Ukraine. There are more than 25,000 of them in the Kyiv region alone, and new destructions are recorded daily.
Ambassador of Ukraine to the Netherlands Maksym Kononenko noted that three directions are essential for reconstructing Ukraine, particularly developing mechanisms of patronage by Dutch cities or regions over Ukrainian territories affected by hostilities.
Also, it concerns the restoration of critical infrastructure. In particular, it can be the restoration of schools, the construction of shelters, and the repair of roads and bridges. Kononenko recalled the Reconstruction Fund, a state structure created with the support of international financial institutions, such as the World Bank, EBRD, etc., which should become a coordination center for national projects. The fund will be filled with financial assistance from foreign partners and confiscated assets of sanctioned russian persons (as long as they are on the territory of Ukraine).
According to the diplomat, reconstructing and restoring destroyed cultural objects is also vital today.
"Today we are witnessing how russia is trying to destroy the cultural heritage of Ukraine, as well as the historical and cultural heritage of the EU, to deprive our country and our people of their cultural and national identity," he emphasized.
