A large-scale international technical assistance project, the Belgian Initiative for the Recovery of Ukraine (BE-Relieve Ukraine), implemented by the Belgian government through the development agency Enabel, has officially started in Ukraine, the press service of the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development reports.
“BE-Relieve Ukraine is not just about technical assistance. It is a project aimed at a partnership between Ukraine and Belgium in the reconstruction of our country. The main principle of our cooperation is “To rebuild better than before.” BE-Relieve Ukraine will last until the end of 2028. During this time, Ukraine will receive €150 million from the Belgian Government to restore and maintain critical infrastructure, prepare for winter, and create an inclusive environment,” said Kostyantyn Kovalchuk, Deputy Minister of Communities and Territories Development.
The main areas of the project are the modernization of energy infrastructure, reconstruction of medical facilities, renovation of school and vocational education infrastructure, as well as promoting reforms and strengthening ties with Belgian partners.
Priority activities include the transfer of 212 generators for educational institutions, mobile boilers for hospitals and utilities, and the repair of medical infrastructure.
According to the expert, about 100,000 tons of fireproof paints, plasters and other products may be needed to restore destroyed real estate.
Research by the Kyiv School of Economics and USAID shows that 90% of the construction materials needed to rebuild Ukraine can be produced locally. At the same time, the director of Kovlar Group, the largest Ukrainian manufacturer of fireproofing materials that produces Ammokote products, said that the total capacity of domestic fireproofing manufacturers far exceeds the expected demand during the reconstruction.
“As of today, fire protection materials worth about UAH 1 billion are needed to rebuild the destroyed facilities,” said Konstantin Kalafat, ”At the same time, the use of locally produced products will not only help develop Ukraine’s construction industry and create new jobs, but will also help investors save a lot of money, as Ukrainian products are much cheaper than imported counterparts.
Established in 2015, Kovlar Group is the largest Ukrainian manufacturer of fire protection products, which occupies about 60% of the Ukrainian fire protection materials market and offers more than 20 products under the Ammokote brand.
Established in 2015, Kovlar Group is the largest Ukrainian manufacturer of fire protection, which occupies about 60% of the Ukrainian fire protection materials market and offers more than 20 products under the Ammokote brand.
Kovlar Group LLC was founded in 2015, its authorized capital is UAH 1.2 million, and its ultimate beneficiaries are Kostiantyn Kalafat (40%), Andrii Ozeychuk (35%), and Liubov Vakhitova (25%). According to the company’s annual reports, in 2023, the company received UAH 42 million 585 thousand in revenue, which is more than four times higher than in 2022; net profit for 2023 was UAH 7.7 million against a net loss of UAH 1.6 million in 2022.
fire protection materials, Kovlar Group, RECONSTRUCTION, Калафат
Investment company Concorde Capital is implementing a project to reconstruct the Kyiv Bus Station, located near the Central Railway Station (Vokzalna Metro Station), better known as the Yama, Concorde Capital founder Igor Mazepa said on Wednesday.
“My colleagues and I came up with an idea, why don’t we go in… take a closer look at the transportation market from the investment point of view… At Concorde, we decided to enter this market through infrastructure projects… (to start) with the reconstruction of the well-known Kyiv bus station, which is located in the city center near the railway station,” Mazepa said during a video presentation at the conference “Reforming Passenger Bus Transportation in Ukraine.”
According to the investment company, the passenger flow of this station is about 10 thousand people per day, plus or minus 400 bus trips.
Mazepa noted that the central bus station, in fact, was “in a terrible state” until recently.
“Now our task, our mission, is to carry out a human reconstruction in accordance with European standards. I can assure you that you will soon see the changes that will take place there,” Mazepa said.
At the same time, the founder of the investment company noted that the reconstruction would require significant capital investments.
“We are not afraid of this and we can guarantee that our customers and passengers will soon receive the highest quality service. Of course, we will ask that such services be paid for fairly,” Mazepa said.
According to Igor Sotnyk, director of Concorde Capital’s investment banking department, the reconstruction of the bus station is planned in two stages. The first stage, which separated bus and car traffic, has already been completed. The second stage involves work on the improvement of the bus station building in accordance with the concept that is currently being developed.
“We are now finalizing the mix of tenants who will be present there according to the needs of passengers. There will be a waiting area, a food court, a high-comfort zone, a children’s room, a first-aid post, and commercial premises,” Sotnyk said, adding that a working draft will be prepared after the concept is finalized.
In addition, the possibility of creating services for carriers – service stations and car washes – is being considered. The technical possibilities for their placement are being studied.
Sotnyk also said that the exact timing of the start of work will be known after the working documentation is ready, but expressed hope that this could happen in early 2025.
Mazepa estimated the legal road transportation market in Ukraine at almost UAH 7 billion. According to him, taking into account illegal transportation and those from which taxes are not paid, the real size of the market is “many times larger.”
The Danish government has decided to allocate additional EUR380m for the reconstruction of Ukraine’s infrastructure and construction of wind farms, Danish Business Minister Morten Bedskou said at a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev.
According to the press service of the President, during the meeting, the Danish Minister of Entrepreneurship noted the opportunities for strengthening cooperation between the countries and informed about the decision of his government to allocate additional funding for the Ukrainian mechanism of the Danish Export and Investment Fund.
As noted, this mechanism fully covers the risks of Danish exporters and investors, as well as provides financing to Ukrainian private companies and state institutions.
For him, the Danish government will allocate almost EUR380 million more for the restoration of critical infrastructure and construction of wind farms.
At the meeting, Zelensky and Bedskou paid special attention to the prospects of expanding Danish business and attracting new investments in Ukraine.
In turn, the President of Ukraine emphasized the importance of the fact that the Minister of Entrepreneurship of Denmark during his visit to Kiev is accompanied by the heads of Danish companies – the largest investors in the economy of Ukraine.
“Your activity in the Ukrainian market is striking. With your investments you set an example for other partners and investors”, – emphasized Zelensky.
As reported, during the recent visit of the First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska to Denmark, she asked Danish partners for additional funding for the Danish Export and Investment Fund, the funds from which come to help Ukraine.
DENMARK, INFRASTRUCTURE, Morten Bedskow, RECONSTRUCTION, UKRAINE
The Netherlands has allocated an additional EUR1 billion in military aid and EUR400 million for reconstruction to Ukraine in addition to the commitments under the bilateral security agreement, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said after a phone conversation with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
“In a telephone conversation, Prime Minister Mark Rutte has just announced that the Netherlands has allocated another EUR 1 billion for military assistance to Ukraine and EUR 400 million for reconstruction. This is in addition to the obligations under our bilateral security agreement,” Zelenskyy wrote on his Telegram channel.
The Head of State expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister and all the people of the Netherlands.
According to him, during the conversation, they also discussed joint work with partners to accelerate the supply of artillery shells, ammunition and air defense systems.
” I thanked him for the effective Justice for Ukraine conference in The Hague and the launch of the Register of Damages as a result of it. He spoke about the preparations for the Peace Summit in Switzerland and invited the Netherlands to join. We also discussed the necessary efforts to ensure that this event is supported by as many countries as possible,” Zelenskyy wrote.
For his part, Rutte said that his country would provide Ukraine with additional military assistance worth EUR1 billion in 2024 and allocate EUR3 billion in defense support for 2025.
“The Netherlands will provide an additional EUR1 billion in military support this year. This is in addition to the EUR2 billion already approved by the authorities. We have also decided that we will allocate EUR3 billion for military support for the next year,” Rutte wrote on social network X.
In addition, according to the Prime Minister, the Netherlands is using EUR400 million “to support the Ukrainian economy and repair vital energy infrastructure.”
Rutte reminded that the Netherlands continues to make efforts to deliver more ammunition and air defense equipment to Ukraine faster, together with international partners, including Denmark and the Czech Republic.
In early March, the Netherlands signed a 10-year bilateral security agreement with Ukraine. According to Rutte, his country will provide Ukraine with assistance and support “across the entire spectrum of defense cooperation, as well as in the areas of reconstruction, sanctions support, and the fight for justice.”
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has approved attracting EUR200 million in grants from France for the reconstruction and restoration of critical infrastructure.
According to Taras Melnychuk, a representative of the Cabinet of Ministers in the Verkhovna Rada, who posted on Telegram, the decision taken at a government meeting on Tuesday approved a draft grant agreement between the governments of Ukraine and France to help restore and maintain critical infrastructure and priority sectors of Ukraine’s economy.
The agreement provides for the attraction of grant funds from the French government in the amount of EUR 200 million. They will be used to reconstruct and restore critical infrastructure in sectors such as healthcare, infrastructure, energy, agriculture, water supply and sanitation, waste management, demining, and digital technologies.
