The European Commission begins negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the Life for Climate and Environment Program, which will allow receiving EU support in restoring the ecosystem after the war waged against it by Russia.
“Today, the European Commission begins negotiations with Ukraine to offer the country the opportunity to join the Life for Climate and Environment Program,” European Commission spokesman Adalbert Janz said at a briefing on Thursday.
According to him, by joining the Life Program, Ukraine will benefit from European support in rebuilding its environment after the destruction caused by the Russian attack. In particular, we are talking about heavy pollution and damage caused to the ecosystem. “This will be useful in order to secure the long-term well-being of the country and its sustainability,” he stressed.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has invited Sweden to take part in the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine.
“I am sure that together we will be able to ensure peace, and therefore we need to think about the restoration of Ukraine after this war right now. And it will happen. I invite Swedish architects, Swedish companies, the Swedish state, your people to take part in this historical project. Ukraine was beautiful, and now it will become great, because such is our people,” Zelensky said, speaking to the Swedish Parliament on Thursday.
“I invite you to demonstrate to the world, to all modern and future generations, that war does not give results, but peace does. And life,” he said.
According to him, Sweden became the first state to which Ukraine offered a “big restoration project.”
“You can take patronage over any city of Ukraine, region or industry for their restoration. I am sure that your leadership will be indispensable. Your technologies, business and love of life, the ability to organize space are in the interests of people,” the president said.
Restoration of the Catholic Church of St. Nicholas in Kyiv after the fire will cost at least UAH 75 million, according to preliminary estimates, Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine Oleksandr Tkachenko said.
“According to preliminary estimates, the restoration will require UAH 75 million. The state will allocate the rest of the necessary funds to the amount raised by the business. That is, it is a unique case of public-private partnership,” Tkachenko wrote on his Telegram channel.
According to him, the funds transferred by business representatives will go to emergency work. They are expected to begin in mid-October.
As reported, on Friday evening, mayor of the Ukrainian capital Vitali Klitschko wrote in the Telegram channel that the church of St. Nicholas caught fire in the center of Kyiv. The fire broke out between the first and second floors and quickly spread to the roof of the building. Rescuers said that the area of the fire was 80 square meters, the fire damaged the body. According to the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy, the building was not badly damaged. Late in the evening the fire was extinguished, none of the people were injured. Later, the Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine Oleksandr Tkachenko said that the fire destroyed a unique organ, which was located in the building.
St. Andrew’s Church has reopened in Kyiv after almost five years of restoration work, according to the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine.
“The St. Andrew’s Church Museum is reopened. The restoration of one of the most famous baroque monuments of Ukraine took place in three stages: strengthening the hill; restoration of the external facades; work on the interiors,” the Ministry of Culture reported on Facebook.
The ministry said also that from December 15, everyone will be able to see the unique iconostasis as it was at the time of the author of the project, the architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli.
As reported, on December 2, the press service of the Ministry of Culture announced the opening of St. Andrew’s Church online on January 12, the first service will be held in the church on December 13.
It is reported that the aim of the restoration was the desire to reveal the original solutions and vision of the architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, whose 320th birthday is celebrated this year.
President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Ukraine’s international partners and business representatives to become involved in the implementation of infrastructure and social projects in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions affected by the armed conflict. During his speech at the Ukrainian Lunch in Munich, the head of state said that a global fund had been created to restore the Donbas infrastructure in Ukraine.
“It combines two ‘windows’. The first is for international partners, organizations and foundations. The second is for the Ukrainian fund, which will attract funds from the private sector and individual donors,” the head of state said.
According to the president, the key priorities of the fund are large infrastructure projects, work with local business and its affordable crediting, care for the least protected groups of the population, overcoming the consequences of the war – with a focus on youth, women, children and veterans.
“For the first time such a fund is administered jointly by the World Bank, the Office of the President and the Government of Ukraine,” Zelensky stressed.
In addition, the head of state told about the plans to establish the Ministry of Reintegration and Restoration of Donbas.
“I urge our international partners to join and start fundraising for the reconstruction and reintegration of Donbas together with me,” the president summarized.
On Friday, November 29, at 13.00, the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency will host a press conference entitled “From Robbery of Foreign Investors to Restoration of Confidence in Ukraine” on regular robberies of foreign investors by a criminal gang which included employees of security agencies in 2015-2018. Participants: Chairman of NGO Association for Protection of Foreign Investment Anatoliy Velymovsky; co-founder of NGO Association for Protection of Foreign Investment, Head of non-governmental organization for protection of public order and state border of Ukraine “Left Bank – Kyiv BTO” Taras Moskaliuk; German citizen, investor, owner of BioTexCom Albert Totchilovski; Lithuanian citizen, private investor Virmantas Vildziunas (8/5a Reitarska Street). Registration requires press accreditation.
