This week, Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine Ihor Bezkrovainyi met with newly appointed Japanese Ambassador to Ukraine Masashi Nakagome.

Deputy Minister Ihor Bezkrovainyi updated the Japanese delegation on the Ministry of Economy's priority areas in the field of humanitarian demining.

“I thank the Japanese government for its consistent support and attention to the issue of humanitarian demining. Japan is one of Ukraine’s key partners in this field, having already provided over $70 million in assistance, along with dozens of demining vehicles, heavy machinery, and other essential equipment. We look forward to continued fruitful partnership, as clearing explosive remnants from our land after the full-scale invasion is crucial for public safety, business development, and the rebuilding of Ukraine,” stated Ihor Bezkrovainyi.

The Deputy Minister added that exchanging expertise in humanitarian demining, training sappers, and increasing the number of certified mine action operators remain important for Ukraine to accelerate the inspection and clearance of contaminated areas. Currently, 63 operators are certified in Ukraine, the number of sappers has grown to over 4,000, and 98 demining machines are actively working in the field.

Ihor Bezkrovainyi invited Japanese Ambassador to Ukraine Masashi Nakagome to join the Sectoral Working Group (SWG) on Humanitarian Demining as co-chair, a role which the Ambassador readily accepted. Currently, the SWG includes nearly 70 participants from 49 countries. Since its establishment, the group has managed to secure over $450 million in additional support for demining efforts in Ukraine.

The parties also discussed the organization of a Ukraine Mine Action Conference to be held in Japan in autumn 2025. For more information about the outcomes of this year's Conference, which took place on 17-18 October in Lausanne, Switzerland, please follow the link.