On March 7, First Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Ukraine, Yulia Svyrydenko, held a meeting with French Prime Minister François Bayrou.
The parties discussed key aspects of Ukrainian-French cooperation, including defense support, financial assistance, and attracting investments to develop the Ukrainian economy.
"Ukraine is grateful to France and the French people for their comprehensive support—ranging from military aid and financing of the state budget to support for Ukrainians who have found temporary shelter in France. I would like to especially thank you for providing the Mirage fighter jets—this is an important contribution to strengthening our country's defense capabilities. Thanks to French aircraft, today Ukrainian pilots were able to repel one of the most massive air attacks by the Russian aggressor," Yulia Svyrydenko stated.
The meeting addressed ways to enhance Ukraine's defense capabilities. A significant part of the discussion focused on expanding economic cooperation between the two countries. Specifically, Yulia Svyrydenko thanked France for approving projects worth 200 million euros to be jointly implemented by French and Ukrainian companies.
"Together with our French partners, we have processed dozens of applications, and the government has already approved the first 19 projects in the fields of healthcare, energy, infrastructure, and humanitarian demining. All of them will be implemented within a short timeframe—between 5 and 16 months. Thanks to the intergovernmental agreement with France, we are receiving 200 million euros for the reconstruction of critical infrastructure, of which 60 million euros will go to support the energy sector. The program has attracted significant interest—total applications reached 600 million euros, far exceeding the available funding. This confirms the readiness of the French private sector to further support Ukraine. I called on the French Prime Minister to consider expanding this tool," Yulia Svyrydenko said.
She also emphasized the importance of recent French investments in the Ukrainian economy, particularly in the telecommunications sector, where one of the key projects is an agreement related to the Data Group Volia-lifecell. In 2024, the IFC and EBRD, with the support of the European Commission and the French government, decided to jointly invest $435 million in the modernization, expansion, and improvement of telecommunications services in Ukraine.
"We are ready to make every effort to create favorable conditions for the private sector that is willing to enter the Ukrainian market," she emphasized.
