Over 100 agreements estimated at around 16 bln euros signed at Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin - PM

MOSCOW. June 13 (Interfax) - More than 100 international agreements estimated at around 16 billion euros were signed at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal said.

"The third Ukraine Recovery Conference has wrapped up in Berlin. In total, over 100 international agreements have been concluded. These are projects concerning energy, the defense industry, the reconstruction of the social and critical infrastructure, and the reconstruction of the economy. According to the German side, they are estimated at around 16 billion euros," Ukrainian media quoted Shmygal as saying at a government meeting on Thursday.

The United States is to provide $824 billion to support Ukraine's power supply infrastructure; a 30-million-euro agreement signed with Germany is aimed at making the Ukrainian energy system more sustainable; the World Bank is to grant an additional $47 million to purchase heating equipment for Kharkov; the EU agreed to provide an additional 1,000 power generators and solar panels. Ukraine has also signed memorandums with numerous leading companies specializing in distributed power generation, energy efficient technology, smart networks, and the restoration of hydropower generation, Shmygal said.

Ukraine is to receive another 1.9 billion euros of budget financing from the EU. The U.S. and Ukraine are working on the allocation of $7.8 billion in budget support and $1.5 billion for economic recovery. Ukraine has signed first guarantee agreements with the EU amounting to 1.4 billion euros as an investment component of Ukraine Facility. The Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) Resilience Alliance for Ukraine has been launched with commitments totaling more than 7 billion euros. The Skills Alliance with a budget of 700 million euros for three years has been started; the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) has announced $350 million in risk insurance financing; and Ukraine is to receive a $230-million grant from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) to upgrade marine and railroad transport services, Shmygal said.

Apart from energy, finance, and economic projects, Ukraine also has multiple other agreements and projects, including over 185 million euros earmarked for the healthcare sector's recovery and development, a 100-million-euro agreement between Ukraine and the Council of Europe Development Bank, and a 100-million-euro agreement signed with the European Investment Bank to upgrade social services and reconstruct critical infrastructure, he said.