Conference in Lugano on the process of reconstruction of Ukraine

The Ukrainian Prime Minister, Denys Shmyhal, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, are expected to participate in the two-day meeting in Lugano.

The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, who will participate virtually in this meeting, has warned that the work that awaits him only in the areas that have already been liberated, is “truly colossal”.

“It is necessary not only to repair everything that the invaders have destroyed, but also to create a new foundation for our life: safe, modern, comfortable and accessible”he said during an address on July 3.

“No matter how difficult it may be for us today, we must remember that tomorrow awaits us.” Zelensky emphasized.

“Ukraine is a big country and there has been a lot of destruction… you cannot start planning and coordinating for reconstruction as quickly as required”Markus Berndt, head of the department for external activities at the European Investment Bank, told dpa.

According to him, Ukraine needs urgent help to ensure that basic services, such as water supplies, sewage network, access to the Internet and to ensure that there is macroeconomic stability.

The Swiss ambassador in charge of the conference, Simon Pidoux, said it was too early to assess all of Ukraine’s needs, but insisted that the meeting in Lugano should provide a “compass” for the work to be done in the future.

“I think the effort [për rindërtim] will last for years, if not decades,” he said.

Hundreds of billions of euros will be required to finance the reconstruction of Ukraine’s destroyed infrastructure.

The conference was scheduled to be held before Russia launched a full-scale invasion on February 24 and was originally intended to discuss reforms in Ukraine, but the focus was later changed and the meeting will now focus on post-war reconstruction. .

According to REL, the conference is expected to conclude with a joint declaration: the Lugano Declaration.

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