LUGANO (dpa-AFX) – In the view of the federal government, a sustainable reconstruction of the war-ravaged Ukraine should be tackled now. The course for a reform-oriented reconstruction, which strengthens Ukraine’s course towards the European Union, must be set now, said Development Minister Svenja Schulze (SPD) before the start of the Ukraine reconstruction conference this Monday in Lugano, Switzerland. The goals are modern administration, effective combating of corruption, sustainable infrastructure and energy security.
“The reconstruction of Ukraine will be an immense task that will take decades and cost several hundred billion euros. This is exactly why we have to talk about reconstruction now,” said Schulze, who is taking part in the two-day conference in Lugano, the German Press Agency . Russian troops invaded Ukraine four months ago.
The Ukrainian government wants to present its reconstruction plans in Lugano for the first time. Representatives of donor countries and international organizations want to consult with Ukrainian government officials, among others, about who can take on which task.
“For this great task we need us as governments, but also a crisis-proof economy, a lively civil society, the strong voice of girls and women, free media and all levels of administration right down to the municipalities,” said Schulze.
Her ministry has organized a meeting of the German-Ukrainian municipal partnership network in Berlin for next Wednesday. 77 partnerships already exist and 35 other German municipalities have expressed an interest./oe/DP/nas