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Trade Secretary launches UK-Ukraine Infrastructure Taskforce
International Trade Secretary has today [11 July] launched the UK-Ukraine Infrastructure Taskforce alongside Ukrainian Minister for Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov.
The first UK-Ukraine Infrastructure Taskforce meeting saw commitments made by the UK to deliver temporary housing and longer-term infrastructure projects to help the nation rebuild in the wake of Putin’s illegal war.
Secretary of State for International Trade Anne-Marie Trevelyan and Ukrainian Minister for Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov met in person, together with other representatives of Ukraine Government and UK businesses to discuss collaboration on the most pressing challenges for infrastructure reconstruction in Ukraine.
Building on the UK-Ukraine Infrastructure Summit in London last month, the meeting, which took place in the British Embassy in Warsaw, Poland, focussed on practical steps needed to support the post-conflict reconstruction of Ukraine.
International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said:
Ukrainian citizens are not only defending their country against Putin’s illegal war - they are trying to rebuild it.
Restoring public services, unblocking disrupted supply chains and re-open life-saving evacuation routes all need urgent and concerted action. President Zelenskyy is right that these challenges must be shared by countries and businesses around the world.
I was pleased to confirm the UK’s unflinching support to play our part in these efforts when I met Minister Kubrakov today.
I heard how families have emerged from bomb shelters to find their properties turned to rubble. So I want to make sure that UK companies can help by providing temporary bridges and modular, prefabricated housing to help – the same type of emergency housing the UK needed after World War Two.
Longer term, the UK will be providing expertise on the delivery of sustainable and resilient infrastructure through our brilliant UK-based businesses. And we’ll be continuing to work closely with Ukraine to offer them any help needed elsewhere, be it on energy, water, sanitation or public utilities.
It’s particularly poignant to have held the inaugural taskforce meeting in Poland.
Poland has been quite literally on the frontline of the efforts to support Ukraine against Putin. The government and its citizens have been extraordinarily generous in their support of Ukraine. It makes the UK even prouder than ever to call Poland a friend, and I’m pleased to have strengthened that friendship today.
The Taskforce meeting follows the UK-Ukraine Infrastructure Summit in London on 17 July, where 120 delegates from both nations discussed the scale of the challenge to rebuild Ukraine as a result of Putin’s illegal war.
Longer term support discussed also included £3.5 billion of financial capacity available for UK exporters and Ukrainian buyers across sectors from UK Export Finance (UKEF).