The Norwegian government will provide Ukraine with an additional 500 million Norwegian kroner through the World Bank’s multilateral donor fund for assistance, recovery, reconstruction and reforms in Ukraine URTF.
“Today, during the 2024 annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group (WBG), Norway’s Minister for International Development, Ann Beate Christiansen Twinneraim, met with Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko and pledged to provide an additional 500 million Norwegian kroner to the fund,” the Norwegian government website reported on October 24.
As reported, NPC Ukrenergo received the first large cross-regulation transformer for one of the 750 kV substations (SS) as part of the REPOWER project from the World Bank (WB), which is financed by a grant of $247 million from the URTF fund. In the coming months, after the completion of production, almost 20 more powerful transformers purchased with WB funds are expected to arrive.
“On the eve of winter, it is vital to provide the population of Ukraine with electricity and heat. That is why we recently announced the allocation of 3 billion Norwegian kroner, which, among other things, will be used to provide electricity to almost 1.5 million people and industry in Ukraine, as well as for other assistance so that the war-affected population can survive the winter,” Twinnerem said.
As reported, in October this year, the Norwegian government proposed to extend the Nansen program until 2030 and expand the funding from at least 75 to 135 billion Norwegian kroner during this period.
“My main message during our meeting was that Norway should support Ukraine for as long as necessary. This is in the interests of both Ukraine and Norway, and the long-term Nansen program reflects this commitment,” the Norwegian Minister for International Development emphasized.
The Nansen support program for Ukraine includes military support, humanitarian assistance, funding to support civilian infrastructure and critical societal functions, as well as funding to support the reconstruction of Ukrainian society when possible. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Norway has provided Ukraine with almost 52.6 billion Norwegian kroner, of which approximately 28 billion was allocated for military support and 24 billion for civilian support.
Norway, in partnership with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), has committed a total of NOK 1.1 billion ($105 million) in financial support to rebuild Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, build backup capacity and accelerate Ukraine’s transition to a more diversified and sustainable energy mix.
“This partnership will ensure the restoration of energy generating capacity in Ukraine, providing direct support to important regions of Ukraine. This contribution will significantly mitigate the impact of the ongoing shelling of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. As part of this enhanced partnership, solar panels will be installed to provide backup power to schools and hospitals, and a recent agreement will provide an additional 80 MW of power to the national grid this winter,” the UN press service reports.
It is noted that thanks to the UNDP Energy Recovery Program, the provision of heat and water will meet the needs of more than a million people and industrial consumers.
“Russia’s constant attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have led to an urgent need to increase electricity production. There is a shortage of this type of equipment on the market. Therefore, the agreement with UNDP is very important to support Ukraine this winter,” Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said in a government press release.
The production, transportation and installation of energy equipment are complex and risky processes that are carried out by reliable partners, as this is vital assistance that will enable Ukraine to survive the coming winter.
“We are committed to supporting Ukraine in its efforts to build a more resilient and sustainable energy system by restoring critical energy infrastructure and generation capacity, and advancing strategic initiatives to accelerate the transition to green energy. We are committed to supporting Ukraine in its efforts to build a more resilient and sustainable energy system. Rehabilitating critical energy infrastructure is essential as people living in multi-storey buildings in major cities have no alternative means of heating and water supply. UNDP’s Renewable Energy Program, through which we are supporting Ukraine’s energy recovery, is a testament to our commitment to promoting green recovery and energy security for all Ukrainians. We are grateful to our partners for their continued support,” said UNDP Resident Representative Jaco Silje.
Fourteen EU countries, as well as Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, have signed an appeal calling on the EU executive to propose new rules to strengthen return policies, Politico reports.
In their letter to the European Commission, 17 European countries ask for new rules that will allow governments to detain illegal migrants if they pose a threat to national security, force migrants to cooperate with authorities, and ensure that all EU countries use the same data management software.
The letter to the Commission states that migrants who do not have the right to stay in the EU “must be brought to justice.”
It is noted that Norway, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein have also signed the appeal, although they are not members of the EU, they are members of the Schengen area.
The publication notes that the push comes amid a right-wing and anti-immigration shift in many EU countries.
The Norwegian government plans to allocate NOK 250 million for Norfund’s investments in Ukraine as part of the Nansen Support Program, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko has said.
“These funds will help reduce risks for companies investing in Ukraine, including Norwegian ones. Private capital is the key to modernization. I am grateful to our partners for this decision,” she wrote on social network X (formerly Twitter) on Friday.
According to Svyrydenko, this decision also supports the efforts of the Ministry of Economy to implement a joint strategy to attract public and private investment of up to EUR40 billion in cooperation with international financial organizations and development agencies.
According to the Ministry’s website, the government also plans to continue this initiative in the coming years.
As the ministry clarified, Norfund provides equity investments, which involve higher risks than loans and guarantees offered by development agencies and multilateral banks. As an investment fund, Norfund also works to create jobs and support the green transition by investing in companies that promote sustainable development.
According to Norway’s Minister for International Development, Anne Beate Christiansen Twinereim, Norfund has experience in high-risk markets, so it will be an important tool for attracting private sector investment in recovery projects. In particular, it will also help to reduce the gap between Ukraine’s urgent recovery needs and the amount of available funding.
The Nansen Support Program for Ukraine is a Norwegian civilian and military support program worth NOK 75 billion for the period 2023-2027. The distribution between civilian and military support is determined annually according to Ukraine’s needs.
In 2023, about NOK 19.9 billion was distributed from the Nansen Support Program: 8.9 billion for civilian and humanitarian support, and 11 billion for military support.
The Norwegian government will allocate an additional NOK 1 billion to finance Ukraine’s air defense, the government’s press service reports.
“Ukrainians need more air defense to protect the population from Russian bombs and missiles. The brutal attacks we saw last week show why it is so important for Ukrainians to be protected from Russian air attacks. In the fall, together with Germany, Norway will deliver a complete IRIS-T anti-aircraft battery to Ukraine,” Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre commented on the decision.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide noted that support for air defense has long been one of Ukraine’s top priorities.
“Ukrainians know their needs best, and that is why we have close contact with Ukraine when we decide how to organize support for Ukraine,” he said.
It is noted that the allocated funds are part of the Norwegian Nansen program.
In the revised national budget, the government proposed to use up to NOK 4 billion from the Nansen program for air defense measures until 2024.
Most of these funds are earmarked for Germany’s Immediate Action for Air Defense initiative. The new measures are included in the funds identified through the RNB (revised national budget).
Ukraine and Norway have agreed to allow Ukrainian carriers to carry out transportation without permits until September 30, 2024, the press service of the Ministry of Community Development, Territories and Infrastructure (Ministry of Reconstruction) reports.
In August 2024, a meeting of the specialized commission will be held to discuss the extension of the “transport visa-free regime” with Norway for a longer period, Deputy Minister of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure of Ukraine Serhiy Derkach wrote on Facebook on Wednesday.
“Our goal and task is to ensure that Ukrainian carriers can carry out transportation without permits to as many countries as possible. Currently, we have agreed with Norway to extend the previous agreement, and we expect that the term of the “transport visa-free regime” will be extended soon,” Derkach emphasized.
According to him, the liberalization of transportation will help Ukraine not only to increase the volume of cargo transportation, but also to integrate into the European and global transportation system.
Liberalization of freight transportation is possible for vehicles of Euro 5 and higher environmental standards. Drivers must have a certificate confirming the environmental class of the truck when performing transportation on board, the deputy minister noted.
The “transport visa-free regime” with Norway expired on June 30, 2024, after a liberal regime for carriers had been in effect for a year since August 2023.
Ukrainian carriers also have access to “transport visa-free travel” with 37 countries, including the European Union. Over the past year, in addition to Norway, the Ministry of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure of Ukraine has managed to agree on the liberalization of freight transportation with North Macedonia, Turkey, Moldova, Georgia and Montenegro, the Ministry of Reconstruction noted.
