South Korea to help Ukraine restore environment affected by war - Cabinet

The Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, Ruslan Strelets, and the Minister of the Environment of Korea, Han Hwa-Jin, signed a Memorandum of Cooperation to contribute to the restoration of the war-damaged environment.

That’s according to the Ukrainian government press service, Ukrinform reports.

"On the sidelines of COP28, the Minister of Environment Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, Ruslan Strelets, together with the Minister of the Environment of Korea, Han Hwa-Jin, signed the relevant Memorandum of Cooperation," the statement reads.

As noted, within the framework of the Memo, the countries will cooperate in sustainable management of water resources. Ukraine is interested in the experience of creating a suitable state-run company for effective management in this field. It is also important to apply modern practices in the field of water treatment.

Cooperation will also touch on waste management and the transition to a circular economy. Ukraine needs to build 207 new waste treatment plants to address the accumulated issues. Strelets invited his counterparts to join this project as well.

Other pressing issues of cooperation include restoration of Ukrainian forests; preservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystem services; adaptation and mitigation of the consequences of climate change, development of environmentally friendly technologies, etc.

According to Han Hwa-Jin, it was important for Korea to hear plans for Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction and green recovery. In order to continue the dialogue and strengthen cooperation, the parties agreed to meet in Ukraine.

The Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine invited his Korean colleagues to Kyiv and noted that currently all efforts are aimed at keeping international focus on Ukraine and attracting as many allies as possible at the annual UN Climate Change Conference.

As reported by Ukrinform, COP28 is the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference, which is taking place in Dubai (UAE) from November 30 to December 12. It brought together political and religious leaders, government officials, entrepreneurs, and philanthropists. Ukraine presented its own pavilion to show Ukraine in sustainability and "fight against the enemy and climate crisis"