Ukraine Recovery Conference “Let's start setting the course now for rebuilding Ukraine!” says Development Minister Schulze at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Lugano, Switzerland

Press release 4 July 2022 | Lugano – Today and tomorrow Switzerland and Ukraine are hosting the “Ukraine Recovery Conference” in the Swiss city of Lugano. Head of the German delegation to the conference is Germany's Development Minister, Svenja Schulze.

Traditional "family photo" of the delegation leaders during the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) on Monday, 4 July 2022, in Lugano, Switzerland
Traditional family photo of the delegation leaders during the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) on Monday, 4 July 2022, in Lugano, Switzerland

Government representatives from various countries and participants from international organisations will discuss what course to set to aid the recovery and development of Ukraine in the medium to long term. President Schmyhal is expected to attend on behalf of Ukraine. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has indicated that she also intends to take part. It is expected that the German government will make an official statement – as will other delegations – and that a joint closing declaration will be issued on day two of the conference.

View of Kyiv
Development Minister Schulze said, “It is important that the international players in Lugano start coordinating a course towards a sustainable and reform-oriented reconstruction of Ukraine here and now. That will help us ensure that the various types of emergency relief on offer now actually complement the plans for the rebuilding of the country in the long term. During my visit to Ukraine I saw for myself with what great courage and determination the people of Ukraine are starting to rebuild whatever they can. The people living in Ukraine need housing, schools for education, functioning electricity grids, secure water supplies and much, much more. To rebuild all this, people will need drive and determination. They will also need to pull together and have a good plan.”

To provide further support for Ukraine's recovery, Germany has just pledged to make available 426 million from its supplementary budget. In addition, the German government is providing substantial humanitarian assistance and has already provided more than one billion euros in budget support to help stabilise Ukraine's national budget.

Development Minister Schulze said, “The rebuilding of Ukraine will be an immense task. At the G7 summit, we made it clear that the G7 states will stand side by side with Ukraine for as long as necessary. That said, the Ukraine needs not only a strongly coordinated international response but also a strongly coherent response at national level – one which includes all groups living in Ukraine. That is why, at the Lugano conference, I shall advocate that all parts of society must be given a voice and an active role within the Ukraine and in Ukraine's relations with its international partners. For this huge task to be accomplished successfully, it will need the support not only of national government but also of a crisis-proof economy and an active civil society, along with the strong voice of girls and women, free media and the support of administration at all levels – right down to local authority level.”

The German government is already engaged in a broad range of support for Ukraine and in varied activities to advance the interests of Ukraine.

The German Development Ministry (BMZ) has reacted to Putin's war of aggression by quickly launching an emergency support programme for Ukraine and has to date made available some 185 million euros in aid. The emergency programme is being implemented mainly by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and KfW Development Bank on behalf of the BMZ. Partners in Ukraine include the Ukrainian civil protection services, partner municipalities and international partners such as the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).