The Czech Republic Will be Involved in Post-War Reconstruction of Ukrainian Region

Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Yevhen Perebyinis discussed Czech Republic’s patronage of the restoration of Dnipropetrovsk region with the delegation of the Czech Republic headed by the Governmental Envoy for the Reconstruction of Ukraine Tomáš Kopečný.

Perebyinis expressed gratitude for military, financial, and humanitarian assistance provided by the Czech Republic to Ukraine, in particular, within the Government program for 2023-25 framework that was adopted in October last year.

“The implementation of a number of specific projects was discussed, including prospects for the interaction of two sides in the context of the Czech patronage over the reconstruction of Dnipropetrovsk region,” reads the statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.

In addition to focusing on the region, Czechia also wants to be involved in the reconstruction of specific sectors where it has know-how and experience, such as energy, transport, infrastructure, healthcare, and demining.

The parties also exchanged views on a number of topical issues of the bilateral relations, including the development of the Ukrainian-Czech political dialogue as well as cooperation in Ukraine’s path towards accession to the EU.

In a report issued in January, the Kyiv School of Economics estimated that as of December, the war had damaged or destroyed 149,300 residential buildings, including 131,400 private houses; 17,500 apartment buildings; and 280 dormitories.

More than 3,000 educational institutions, from preschools to universities, were damaged or destroyed, as were hundreds more hospitals, religious institutions, cultural facilities and more.

In addition, the Ukrainian government estimates that 160,000 square kilometers of its territory, an area roughly the size of Tunisia, is potentially contaminated with land mines and other unexploded ordnance that will need to be cleared.

Estimates of how much it will cost to rebuild the country vary, but last year Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that the price tag would likely top $1 trillion and increases every day the fighting continues.