Japanese officials, companies visit Ukraine ahead of reconstruction talks

A Japanese delegation led by senior industry and foreign ministry officials and including business representatives visits Ukraine on Monday (Nov 20) for talks ahead of a reconstruction conference that Japan will host, the industry ministry said.

Japan, which has been supporting Ukraine with funds and by accepting refugees since Russia invaded in February 2022, has also been promoting support for Ukraine at the level of the Group of Seven, or G7, which Japan chairs this year.

Kazuchika Iwata, state minister of economy, trade and industry (METI), and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Kiyoto Tsuji, are visiting together with representatives of Japan companies, METI said in a statement.

In Kyiv, the delegation, which includes members of Keidanren, Japan's biggest business lobby, in charge of a committee on Ukraine's reconstruction, plans talks with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, government officials and companies.

Shmyhal said this month Ukraine would need budget support of about US$42 billion (S$56.3 billion) this year and next year to plug a massive deficit and aid reconstruction from the devastation caused by Russia's invasion.

METI said the visit was an opportunity to hear about Ukraine's needs and to discuss specific projects and accelerate public and private efforts to help.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy — who visited Japan in May during a G7 summit — and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed this month to hold a Japan-Ukraine Conference for promotion of Economic Reconstruction in Tokyo on Feb 19.

ALSO READ: Biden makes unannounced trip to Ukraine ahead of war's anniversary