Post-war reconstruction: Zelensky meets with Turkish ministers, business representatives

A high-level Turkish delegation, including the minister of trade and the minister of agriculture and forestry, along with leading Turkish business representatives, visited Ukraine to discuss reconstruction projects and Turkey's role in post-war rebuilding efforts.

According to Ukrinform, citing Turkish news agency DHA, the delegation met with President Volodymyr Zelensky to explore ways to strengthen Turkish-Ukrainian relations and advance a just and lasting peace.

"We had a productive meeting on the further strengthening of Turkish-Ukrainian relations, the establishment of a just and lasting peace, and the steps that need to be taken in the post-war reconstruction process," said Turkey's Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Ibrahim Yumakli.

He said that both nations would continue working toward sustainable solutions for regional challenges while deepening bilateral ties.

"During our meeting, we brought up the course of trade and economic relations between our countries and our roadmap for the future. We reiterated our determination to achieve a $10 billion trade volume target set by Mr. Zelensky together with our President, our willingness to put our Free Trade Agreement into effect, and our readiness to transfer the experience and knowledge of Turkish contractors to Ukraine and undertake Ukraine's reconstruction projects," said Turkey's Minister of Trade Omer Bolat.

According to Turkish newspaper Sabah, the delegation, led by the two ministers, included top executives from 25 major Turkish construction and infrastructure companies, as well as representatives from the Turkish Contractors Association. The first meeting of the Turkey-Ukraine Reconstruction Task Force, high-level bilateral negotiations, and discussions with Turkish businesses operating in Ukraine will be held as part of the visit.

"The visit stands out as a critical step that will add a new dimension to cooperation between the two countries. The meeting to be held in Kyiv will discuss projects planned by Ukraine to rebuild its infrastructure damaged by the war and the involvement of the Turkish contracting sector in these projects," the article states.

While the Turkish contracting sector undertook 100 projects worth $1.2 billion in urgent areas such as highways, bridges, energy and housing construction during the war period, the sector's $10 billion project accumulation in Ukraine will play an important role in rapidly meeting Ukraine's needs and healing its wounds in the post-war period.

Photo: DHA