Forum - the highlight of the business mission to Tokyo

The Business Forum on Ukraine’s Economic Recovery held on February 8 was a highlight of our business mission to Tokyo.

The event was opened with a video address by Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and closed with a personal speech by Mr. Iwata Kazuchika, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan. Tanaka Akihiko, President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), also made a personal speech at the forum. It is through this state agency that the issues of financing the reconstruction projects in Ukraine are being resolved.

Representatives of Ukrainian local authorities, namely the mayors and deputy mayors of Zhytomyr, Vinnytsia, Zaporizhzhia, Trostianets and Balta, spoke about their recovery plans. Irpin and Borodianka provided video messages.

The strategic partner of the Mayors Club, the Economy of Trust, represented by President Henry Sterenberg, discussed the ideal form of economic recovery. He emphasized the need for Japanese investment and technical cooperation in areas such as healthcare and agriculture to rebuild Ukraine, which has been severely damaged by the Russian invasion.

At the forum, many people spoke about the need for rehabilitation and medical facilities for wounded soldiers in anticipation of post-war reconstruction.

Anatoliy Krutev, Secretary of Zaporizhzhia City Council, said: “We need medical facilities equipped with X-ray equipment. Japan has advanced technology.” There will also be special taxis for people with disabilities who cannot move around on their own.

Yuriy Bova, the mayor of Trostyanets in eastern Ukraine, emphasized, among other things, that “we need to build facilities that are safe and friendly to people with disabilities.”

Some suggested that normalization of economic activity is necessary for recovery. Serhiy Mazur, the mayor of Balta in the south, called for investment in the city, saying: “Reviving agriculture (the region’s main industry) and expanding the presence of new companies are important issues.”

Sergiy Korsunsky, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Japan, noted that Japan has recovered from many disasters and wars, and said: “The experience can be applied in Ukraine.”

On September 19, Tokyo will host a Japan-Ukraine conference to promote economic recovery with the support of the government. Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, who spoke at the forum, emphasized: “It is important that the public and private sectors work together to provide support not only to large companies, but also to small and medium-sized enterprises and startups.”

Akihiko Tanaka, President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), said: “We would like to work closely with organizations other than JICA to promote the participation of Japanese companies.”

After the forum, all guests had the opportunity to network and get to know each other, as well as listen to a performance by the Ukrainian talented violinist Ilya Bondarenko, the ambassador of the project of a world-class concert hall and gallery in Zhytomyr. Nothing can unite such different peoples better than culture and common interests.

You can watch the video from the forum on the YouTube channel of the Mayors Club here.