Czech government allocates over USD 21 million to support Ukraine's economy and development

Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Petr Fiala said this in an interview with Ukrinform.

This year, according to Fiala, the Czech Republic will allocate 500 million crowns (over USD 21 million) in humanitarian support, support for development programmes and economic assistance to Ukraine.

"In the first six months of this year, approximately half of this amount has already been spent. Czech firms will supply, for example, water treatment plants and equipment for surgical rooms or rehabilitation centres in the Dnipro region," the Prime Minister explained.

He informed that last year, the same amount of 500 million CZK was allocated for projects within the framework of humanitarian and economic assistance and for the development of Ukraine. In particular, as part of this programme, the Czech Republic contributed to the demining of war-affected agricultural areas in Kharkiv, Kherson and Sumy regions.

He also gave another example of assistance: GENTEC, a Brno-based company that supplies energy technologies, including cogeneration units, won international tenders and supplied 30 cogeneration units to Ukraine worth more than CZK 400 million (almost USD 17 million).

In general, the politician noted, Czech companies have been supporting Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion. Already in the first year, they began to establish contacts with new partners and travel to Ukraine on business missions. More and more Czech firms are getting involved in Ukraine's recovery, thanks in part to government support. They participate in tenders for government orders and win contracts thanks to their expertise.

"They can impress foreign investors and financial institutions with their quality... When we visit Ukraine today, we see concrete results of their work," the Prime Minister stressed, acknowledging that the Czech economy also benefits from such cooperation.

He recalled Czech humanitarian organisations and volunteers who have raised "several billion crowns" to help Ukraine.

As reported, during a meeting between the First Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko and the Minister of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic Josef Sikela on 12 July in Prague, Svyrydenko said that the Ukrainian government would fully support Czech companies in opening their representative offices and production facilities in Ukraine. In the Dnipropetrovs'k region alone, which is under Czech patronage, 20 Czech companies have already invested USD 11.9 million in the Ukrainian economy.

In addition, on 16 July, during the visit of Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal to Prague, agreements were signed under which the Czech company Sellier & Bellot will build a cartridge factory in Ukraine.