Ukraine and France continue to engage in a productive dialogue on Ukraine’s recovery without waiting for the end of the war, including deepening cooperation between companies, risk insurance, assistance in humanitarian demining, and export support. The Government of Ukraine also counts on further support from its international partners for the country’s European integration course.

This was stated by Yulia Svyrydenko, First Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister of Economy of Ukraine, during a meeting with Bruno Le Maire, Minister of Economy, Finance, Industrial and Digital Sovereignty of France, on 9 November in Paris.

For his part, Minister Bruno Le Maire stressed that the future of Europe is being fought for in Ukraine, and no matter how the geopolitical situation in the world changes, France is ready to stand with Ukraine to the end.

In her turn, Yulia Svyrydenko noted that cooperation between Ukraine and France does not lose its intensity and, despite the russian aggression, has an extremely practical dimension for both countries.

“Today we are discussing potential tools for the reconstruction of Ukraine, including war risk insurance, to enable French investors to enter Ukraine and join reconstruction projects,” said Yulia Svyrydenko.

For example, the French state-owned insurance company Bpifrance Assurance Export has already announced that it will insure French companies that are ready to invest in Ukraine without waiting for the war to end. There are already first French companies that are ready to receive these guarantees to expand their businesses in Ukraine. The parties also discussed the possibility of insuring Ukrainian investors who will set up joint ventures with French businesses.

“French companies are ready to localise their facilities in Ukraine and manufacture their equipment at our plants. I am convinced that this interest will only grow as we work together,” the First Vice Prime Minister noted.

In particular, French businesses are interested in investing in strategically important sectors of Ukraine, including defence, agricultural production and processing, renewable energy, gas production and storage, green metallurgy, environmentally friendly transport, healthcare and pharmaceuticals.