Japan is expected to pledge Monday to support Ukraine's reconstruction following its war with Russia, leveraging the Asian country's technologies and experience in recovering from earthquakes.
At the Japan-Ukraine Conference for Promotion of Economic Growth and Reconstruction in Tokyo, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to deliver remarks via a video message, around two years after Russia invaded his country in February 2022.
During the one-day meeting, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his Ukrainian counterpart Denys Shmyhal are set to sign memorandums of cooperation in various fields, such as infrastructure rebuilding and demining.
In his keynote speech, Kishida, who visited Kyiv in March 2023 before hosting the Group of Seven summit in May in his home constituency of Hiroshima, will announce support measures for Ukraine, Japanese government officials said.
The areas of cooperation also incorporate agricultural expansion, improvement of the humanitarian situation, the development of biotechnology, industry and information technology, and governance enhancement, the officials said.
As part of efforts to encourage investment from Japanese companies and facilitate their business in Ukraine, the government has been arranging the easing of travel restrictions, according to the officials.
The conference involving about 300 government and corporate officials from Japan and Ukraine is held as concern is mounting that support for Kyiv from Western nations may peter out with Russia seemingly committed to a war of attrition.
In the United States, opposition to aid for Ukraine from Republicans ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November has caused delays in the administration of President Joe Biden reaching a deal for the latest funding package for Kyiv.
Japan, one of the key supporters of Ukraine, has shown its commitment to supplying financial assistance to Kyiv as the provision of military equipment is restricted under its war-renouncing Constitution.
At the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Kishida confirmed with other leaders that they will maintain "unwavering support" for Ukraine, with Zelenskyy participating in sessions on the closing day of the three-day gathering.
The World Bank has estimated the cost of rebuilding Ukraine at $411 billion over the next decade, which Kyiv is likely to fund through loans, representing business opportunities for firms across the globe, including in Japan.
As Japanese citizens have been advised by their government not to visit Ukraine, calls are growing from the private sector for the relaxation of the advisory to allow participation in reconstruction projects.
