Reconstruction: Ukraine signs five-year memorandum with South Korea

Ukraine's Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development and South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport have signed a memorandum on strengthening cooperation in the field of reconstruction of Ukraine.

According to Ukrinform, the Ukrainian ministry's press service reported this on Facebook.

According to the report, the five-year memorandum is aimed at strengthening cooperation with representatives of the public and private sectors of the Republic of Korea on comprehensive territorial planning, urban planning, development of transport (railways, highways and airports) and social infrastructure, decentralized energy, cooperation of enterprises related to reconstruction, creation of new jobs, etc.

"The memorandum [...] initiates systematic bilateral cooperation in the field of reconstruction. Ukraine is interested both in the exchange of experience and expertise and in the direct participation of the Government and private companies of the Republic of Korea in reconstruction projects as early as 2023. For our part, we offer transparent procedures, global standards of management and digital tools, as well as comprehensive support from the state,' said Oleksandr Kubrakov, Deputy Prime Minister for the Reconstruction of Ukraine and Minister for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development.

During a meeting with high-ranking officials and business representatives of the Republic of Korea, Deputy Minister for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development Oleksandra Azarkhina presented the key priorities of recovery for 2023. The concession projects of the Chornomorsk port, the development of the Danube cluster and support for the Black Sea Grain Initiative were discussed at the meeting.

Representatives of the Republic of Korea were interested in the DREAM digital ecosystem for reconstruction management being implemented by the Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development. In particular, the participants in the meeting were interested in the procedures for uploading data and creating projects, prioritization methodology, transparency tools and anti-corruption safeguards.

"Transparency and accountability of reconstruction and modernization processes are extremely important to our international partners, and the DREAM ecosystem ensures compliance with these requirements. Built on the principle of 'everyone sees everything,' DREAM allows you to monitor reconstruction projects at all stages and monitor the effectiveness of spending every penny. And the prioritization methodology, which we are developing together with the World Bank, will provide transparent and clear rules for the selection of projects," Azarkhina said.

In addition, during the meeting, the parties discussed the possibilities of cooperation both at the intergovernmental level and at the community level, as well as joint training of specialists for Ukraine's reconstruction.

Photo: Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development