Last week, the State Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany, the senior government representative of the G7 for the reconstruction of Ukraine Mr. Jochen Flasbart and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Germany to Ukraine Mr. Martin Jäger visited the facilities of NIBULON in order to discuss the impact of the war on the company's work and important issues related to the provision of agricultural production and the development of the export potential of the Danube ports.
General Director of NIBULON Andriy Vadaturskyy and Director on Government Relations and Sustainable Development Mykhailo Rizak presented to the guests of honor the blocked capacities of the company, which currently cannot be used either in the interests of Ukraine's economy or in overcoming the problem of poverty in the world.
During the visit to the transshipment terminal, the Shipbuilding and Shiprepair Yard NIBULON and the training ground for deminers, Andriy Vadaturskyy thanked the German government for its help, in particular, for the co-financing of the purchase and maintenance of demining machines provided by the German Development Bank DEG Impulse gGmbH, a subsidiary of DEG:
“We are happy to have the opportunity to demonstrate to our German partners how their assistance affects the viability of business and people's lives in Ukraine. Very soon, NIBULON will receive a certificate for technical demining, which will enable us to return to circulation agricultural land contaminated by UXO. More arable land means a bigger harvest, fewer dead farmers who desperately try to clear their fields with artisanal means.”
Andriy drew the delegation's attention to the fact that the next important step in terms of demining tasks is the cleaning of internal waterways:
“Yes, the Dniper is a key water artery of Ukraine, so far it cannot perform its important logistical function. Here we expect the participation of Germany and the G7 in the matter of finding financing for the revival of the Kakhovskaya Dam. However, the Southern Buh should already work in favor of agricultural producers. For this purpose, SSY NIBULON can produce 5-6 demining vessels per year for the needs of the State Emergency Service and the State Special Transport Service of Ukraine. We have demonstrated our resilience in the execution of partnership agreements. For example, due to the impossibility of implementing the intergovernmental agreement between France and Ukraine on the territory of our state during the war, we moved production to France. Our vessels work at the facilities of the French OCEA and build 5 patrol crafts for the State Emergency Service according to the plan.”
Observing with their own eyes the blocked fleet of NIBULON, the members of the delegation agreed that its evacuation could significantly affect the increase of exports under the conditions of its operation on the Danube. Mykhailo Rizak, who deals with the issue of extending guarantees to such vessels against damage caused by possible aggression from the russian federation, noted: “While more than 110 vessels are blocked in Mykolaiv, which could work effectively on the Danube, adding up to 1 million tons of transshipment, guarantees and funds provided for these purposes do not apply to inland waterways. Shipowners have a solution to safely withdraw this fleet through remote control technologies. However, for the most part, this is collateral property, which, in the absence of guarantees, creditors do not allow to take risks. Therefore, it is important to extend the guarantee fund to vessels during the evacuation from Mykolaiv. They are built from Ukrainian metal at our factories. And everything that is built in Ukraine - 40% is returned to the budget in the form of personal income tax, VAT and other taxes. Now we are asking the state to guarantee the departure of these vessels in order to increase the grain export capacity.”
In turn, Jochen Flasbart expressed solidarity and support for Ukraine in the context of its fight against russian aggression.
“We stand in solidarity with Ukrainians. Even now, when russia continues to attack Ukraine, we, together with our Ukrainian and international partners, plan to recover. At the same time, it is extremely important to preserve key sectors of the economy, such as agriculture, because people need economic prospects and jobs. During the visit, I was convinced that our support is needed and received by communities, enterprises, and people affected by the war.”
The visit of representatives of the German government demonstrates the importance and effectiveness of mechanisms of international political influence in overcoming problematic aspects of Ukrainian business functioning during the war.
