Greece plans to open a special office in Odesa for the reconstruction

Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers Oleh Nemchinov and Ambassador Spyridon Lambridis, Special Envoy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic for Ukraine, discussed cooperation between the countries, in particular the possibility of opening a special office for the reconstruction of the Odesa region.

According to Ukrinform, this was reported by the Government portal.

"Ukraine is interested in further strengthening our political dialogue. The Hellenic Republic is an important partner of Ukraine in Europe. Thus, January 15, 2024, will mark the 32nd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Ukraine and Greece. Today, it is extremely important to resume the activities of the Intergovernmental Joint Ukrainian-Greek Working Group on Economic, Industrial, Technical, and Scientific Cooperation, which I chair. It is important that we have already agreed on the date of the next meeting and started the preparation process. We are currently awaiting the Greek side's proposals for the draft agenda. I am convinced that this meeting will be an impetus for intensifying economic cooperation between our countries," Nemchinov said at the beginning of the meeting.

It is noted that the parties discussed the special role of the city of Odesa in the history of the Hellenic Republic and the readiness of the Greek side to join the restoration of architectural monuments and the historic center of Odesa, which were damaged during the Russian aggression.

In his turn, Lambridis emphasized that Greece intends to open a special office in Odesa to deal with the reconstruction of the Odesa region.

The Ambassador also noted that Greece fully supports Ukraine's aspirations for membership in the European Union and NATO. In addition, he announced an international conference on Ukraine's recovery with the involvement of Greek business to be held in Athens on February 15, 2024.

The key issues to be discussed during the conference are the preparation of a plan for the reconstruction of Ukraine - aspects of planning and financing of reconstruction projects with the participation of European agencies and the Ukrainian government; the institutional mechanism for business - presentation of a mechanism for business circles to be involved in reconstruction projects with the participation of experts from the Ukrainian government and business representatives with regional experience in reconstruction; opportunities for cooperation in certain sectors - presentation of such sectors as construction, transport, logistics, etc.

In his turn, Nemchinov emphasized the importance for Ukraine of developing trade and economic cooperation between the two countries, which has huge potential, particularly in the areas of construction, alternative energy, and expanding logistics ties.

Particular emphasis was placed on the further development of cooperation in the field of transportation, especially given the great potential of the maritime transportation capacities of Greek shipping companies.

Author - Serhii Kolomiets, 05/12/2023