During a meeting with the Ambassador of Japan to Ukraine, Masashi Nakagome, and the head of JICA Ukraine, Hideki Matsunaga, Svitlana Hrynchuk, the Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, discussed key areas of cooperation in environmental protection and climate action.
"In 2024, Ukraine signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Japan regarding cooperation under the JCM framework. We are currently working on its implementation and the development of national legislation to fully launch our cooperation with Japan under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. We are also considering the creation of a priority technology list, which will include water treatment and purification technologies as one of our top priorities," said Svitlana Hrynchuk.
Minister Hrynchuk also informed the Japanese partners about the challenges Ukraine faces in ensuring water resources, particularly in frontline regions.
"Currently, our priority is sustainable management of surface and groundwater, energy efficiency of hydraulic infrastructure, and other critical issues related to the water sector," she added.
The Minister discussed with Ambassador Nakagome and Matsunaga the deepening of cooperation in water supply and the development of hydraulic infrastructure.
"Today, we need not only funding but also the latest technologies. Japanese companies have cutting-edge water management, purification, and reuse technologies. We have agreed to exchange data at the technical level regarding the potential opportunities for our cooperation in water management," noted Svitlana Hrynchuk.
She also provided an update on the implementation of the waste management reform and the preparation of regional plans as an essential component. According to her, these steps open up new opportunities for collaboration with partners. Ukraine is already working productively with Japan on managing demolition waste and has the potential to expand the scope of its projects.
The Minister further discussed her visit to the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant with French partners to inspect investment capabilities.
"The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is also an area of interaction between our countries. We also share common interests regarding the development of technologies and alternative energy in the Exclusion Zone. I would like to thank Japan for its comprehensive support of Ukraine. I also thank Ambassador Masashi Nakagome and Hideki Matsunaga for their interest in the environmental protection sector. We are moving forward and developing our initiatives," emphasized the Minister.
