Ukraine and Japan ink 56 cooperation deals at Tokyo Conference

Reuters reports the details.

"Japan has stood with and continues to stand with Ukraine," Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in a speech opening the talks. He announced a new bilateral tax agreement and the initiation of talks on an investment agreement.

Japan, in a display of solidarity with Kyiv nearing the second anniversary of Russian aggression, committed over $10 billion in financial aid to Ukraine. 

The publication noted Japan's inability to provide direct military support due to restrictions on exporting lethal weapons.

Prime Minister Shmyhal acknowledged the significance of this meeting in forging a new chapter in Japanese-Ukrainian relations. He expressed gratitude, emphasizing that Ukrainians will always remember Japan's support.

Shmyhal voiced hope that major car manufacturers, including Toyota, would consider establishing production facilities in Ukraine. Minister of Finance Serhiy Marchenko, at a press conference, acknowledged Japan as their primary partner amid the current budget situation.

Prime Minister Kishida assured support for venture capital companies in Ukraine, announced plans to ease visa controls, and revealed that JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization) would open a new office in Kyiv.

Approximately 50 Japanese companies signed agreements with Ukrainian partners in fields such as agriculture, energy, and infrastructure during the conference.

Kishida and Shmyhal, at the meeting's conclusion, "confirmed the importance to consolidate the international support for Ukraine." This comes ahead of preparations for the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Germany in June. 

Outcomes of the meeting

Subsequently, news broke of the signing of 56 cooperation documents between Japan and Ukraine, as reported by Denys Shmyhal on Telegram.

"Among them are intergovernmental agreements, memoranda, and agreements between businesses and local authorities," highlighted the Ukrainian Prime Minister.

Shmyhal emphasized the significance of the signed intergovernmental convention on the avoidance of double taxation, particularly beneficial for Japanese businesses engaging in new projects in Ukraine.

The meeting resulted in over a dozen agreements supporting Ukraine's reconstruction, involving influential Japanese organizations such as JICA, JETRO, the Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI), and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC). Grant agreements for recovery programs were also signed, along with several documents between the Ministry of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine and Japanese companies, securing agricultural machinery for Ukraine.

In the education and technology sector, an intergovernmental memorandum on cooperation was signed. Shmyhal stressed the importance of establishing a genuine partnership, noting Japan's leadership in these areas.

Notable collaborations included a joint wind energy project between Naftogaz and Japan, along with a Memorandum signed by the operator of Ukraine's gas transportation system, preparing for the modernization of gas compressor stations. Additional agreements covered energy, telecommunications, infrastructure construction, and ecology.

• On February 19, Japan's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yōko Kamikawa, affirmed Japan's commitment to providing long-term support to Ukraine through collaboration with the private sector.