PRESS RELEASE : Kyrylo Tymoshenko and the Japanese parliamentary delegation discussed participation in the Fast Recovery Plan and the restoration of the infrastructure of the Kharkiv region [September 2022]

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 13 September 2022.

Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Kyrylo Tymoshenko had a meeting in the format of a video conference with the Japanese parliamentary delegation.

Members of the House of Councillors of Japan Masaaki Taniai and Mitsuo Takahashi, member of the House of Representatives of Japan Koichi Kasai and representative of the Komeito ruling party secretariat Hiroyuki Kurita joined the online meeting.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko emphasized that on the eve of winter, the restoration of housing and critical infrastructure damaged as a result of the full-scale Russian invasion is an urgent issue for Ukrainian citizens.

“We have developed a Fast Recovery Plan. It covers housing, schools, kindergartens, medical facilities, gas, water and electricity supply networks in the de-occupied territories of the country,” said the Deputy Head of the Office of the President.

He reminded that data on all objects destroyed as a result of Russian aggression can be found on the online platform. Information is updated daily.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko emphasized that thanks to the successes of the Ukrainian army in the east of the country, almost the entire territory of the Kharkiv region was liberated from the invaders.

“Due to this, the number of objects that we need to restore very quickly has increased. Therefore, the first thing we are calling for is to choose a school, a kindergarten or a group of private houses in one or another settlement that were destroyed by Russian troops, and help with their restoration,” he said.

The Deputy Head of the President’s Office also said that as a result of the recent Russian bombing of Kharkiv and the region, combined heat and power plants were damaged, which must be restored before the onset of cold weather. He also suggested that the Japanese side consider the possibility of joining the restoration project of these facilities.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko reported that there are about 86,000 partially or completely destroyed infrastructure facilities in our country. The Deputy Head of the President’s Office noted that some of them are being restored at the expense of the state budget of Ukraine, but the help of partners is also needed.

In addition, Kyrylo Tymoshenko spoke about the need for school buses for Ukrainian children, as many of them were lost as a result of shelling or stolen by the Russian military during the occupation of Ukrainian territories.

“This is an extremely important humanitarian issue, because many schools have been bombed, and children have to go to educational institutions that are further away from their homes,” he noted.

Representatives of both houses of the Japanese parliament expressed their admiration for what President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s team is doing to protect Ukraine. They called Russia’s actions against Ukraine and Ukrainian citizens unacceptable and noted that what is happening in our country affects not only Europe, but also Asian countries.

The Japanese parliamentarians emphasized that their country is willing to continue supporting the sanctions policy against the Russian Federation. They also emphasized that Japan is ready to intensify efforts to help Ukraine.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko invited the parliamentary delegation of Japan to visit Ukraine in order to see with their own eyes the consequences of Russian aggression and the progress of reconstruction in the de-occupied territories.