The Ministry of Development of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure of Ukraine and the Japan Reconstruction Agency will exchange experience in eliminating the consequences of natural and man-made disasters, as well as provide each other with consulting and technical support in the matter of restoring affected communities and territories.
The corresponding Memorandum on cooperation and promotion of sustainable urban regeneration was signed by the Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction of Ukraine, Oleksandr Kubrakov, and the Minister of Reconstruction of Japan, Hiromichi Watanabe.
"The experience of the Reconstruction Agency in restoring infrastructure after the Great East Japan Earthquake, returning normalcy to the affected areas is invaluable to us. Especially now, when the Russian terrorist act of blowing up the Kakhovskaya HPP led to one of the biggest man-made disasters in Europe in recent decades.
The successful experience of our Japanese colleagues will allow us to avoid many mistakes in the planning and implementation of restoration projects, and therefore we will be able to save time and do everything much faster and more efficiently.
I thank Minister Hiromichi Watanabe and the team of the Reconstruction Agency for their support and willingness to start a practical exchange of experience as soon as possible," said Oleksandr Kubrakov, Minister of Community Development, Territories and Infrastructure.
According to Hiromichi Watanabe, Japan's Reconstruction Minister, Japan's experience shows that before starting a full recovery, the key is to ensure the basic needs of the population of the affected communities. It is, in particular, about housing, critical infrastructure (heat, water and electricity supply systems) and the restoration of economic activity in communities.
The parties agreed that the Ministry of Reconstruction and the Reconstruction Agency will intensify the exchange of experience in this area of work in the near future.
The exchange itself will take place through the organization of regular bilateral meetings, workshops and seminars.
The Reconstruction Agency, established in February 2012, is the main body of the Japanese government responsible for the recovery process following the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011. It caused a triple disaster - an earthquake, a tsunami and a nuclear accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
The agency was created directly under the Cabinet of Ministers for centralized management of reconstruction activities, coordination of all those involved in it, and cooperation with local authorities.