Japan, Ukraine hold bilateral conference on economic reconstruction
The first Japan-Ukraine Conference for Promotion of Economic Reconstruction begins today in Tokyo.
The conference comes a day before the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. At the event, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa are expected to deliver speeches on reconstruction efforts.
Last month, Kamikawa visited Ukraine and announced the delivery of medical equipment and pledged to allocate $37 million for a drone detection system. Japan has also provided Ukraine with F-16 jets and other military equipment.
In addition to $106 million in reconstruction aid for Ukraine, Japan and Ukraine are expected to sign over 20 cooperative agreements on agriculture and infrastructure. Like many elements in the US and in parts of Europe, the Japanese public has become less keen on providing further support to Ukraine as the conflict drags on, especially since Japan is not a member of NATO or a part of Europe. Despite domestic reservations, however, expect Japan to continue to provide aid to Ukraine in order to secure longer term business opportunities in Ukraine. Long-term cooperation in electric vehicle production is expected to grow as Ukraine’s large deposits of lithium attract Japanese automakers. Additionally, ventures in infrastructure development and agricultural processing are expected to grow between the two countries.
