“Germany stands by Ukraine” German Development Ministry underlines its commitment through visit to Kyiv

German Development Minister Svenja Schulze said: “Germany has stood by Ukraine as a reliable development partner for 20 years. In order to assist the country on its way to a modern and sustainable future, we have provided more than one billion euros over that period. We jointly work on topics such as the establishment of the rule of law and a market economy system, decentralisation and administrative reform, energy security, and support for eastern Ukraine. Thanks to our cooperation on energy efficiency, we have been able to save more than 39,400 megawatt hours in energy, thus making a significant contribution towards reducing carbon emissions. Another important expression of our vibrant relations is the more than 70 municipal partnerships between German and Ukrainian towns and cities.”

Parliamentary State Secretary Niels Annen will have high-level meetings in Kyiv with the key partners of Germany's development cooperation. His itinerary includes talks with Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine Iryna Vereshchuk, and Minister for Communities and Territories Development Oleksi Chernyshov. Annen will also meet with local government and civil society representatives. Key topics for his talks about current and future cooperation include energy efficiency, decentralisation, and municipal partnerships.

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Parliamentary State Secretary Niels Annen said: “Since 2014, Ukraine has made great strides in terms of economic development, resilience and reform policy amidst difficult circumstances. We want to ensure that these achievements will last. Just recently, in November 2021, we committed nearly 100 million euros for joint development projects in important areas such as good governance, decentralisation and energy efficiency. Civilian support in crisis remains another priority of our cooperation. In eastern Ukraine, we have been able to help supply drinking water for some 2.3 million people.”

German development cooperation with Ukraine – facts and figures

• Thanks to advice on energy efficiency provided to more than 200 municipalities and enterprises, energy savings have amounted to 39,400 megawatt hours – or 2.3 million euros – a year. One programme alone, which involves work on ten transformer stations, is envisaged to save up to 2,900 megawatt hours a year and 1,300 tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2024. In the field of energy transition, Germany is working with Ukraine on adapting the legal framework and harmonising it with EU legislation, and on improving energy transmission.
  
• In eastern Ukraine, Germany has successfully helped to supply drinking water for some 2.3 million people on the contact line. Germany has also provided support for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of 350 preschools and more than 50 schools.
  
• Thanks to an administrative reform, 11,000 small municipalities were merged to form 1,469 larger entities, leading to significant progress in the field of local self-government.
  
• Germany also supports activities by German civil society organisations in Ukraine. In addition to efforts undertaken by political foundations and faith-based organisations, this includes, in particular, the many municipal partnerships. There are 72 bilateral town partnerships, facilitating exchange on topics such as the promotion of democracy and public participation at the local level, municipal services, energy efficiency, water supply, wastewater management, and sustainable urban development. Germany is also a strong partner for Ukraine within the framework of the support provided by the European Union. Germany's share in the amount of over 17 billion euros which the EU has provided in support of Ukraine since 2014 is nearly one fourth. Recently, the European Commission announced that it would provide 1.2 billion euros in macrofinancial assistance to help address the current crisis. Germany's contribution to that assistance is 240 million euros.