Macron pledges comprehensive assistance to Ukraine
MOSCOW. Dec 14 (Interfax) - France will provide 100 million euros to help rebuild Ukrainian infrastructure, such as bridges and railway tracks, French President Emmanuel Macron said at an international donor conference for Ukraine in Paris on Tuesday.
France will also extend an additional 76.5 million euros in solely humanitarian assistance for Ukraine's power and heat supply sector on top of the 200 million euros already disbursed to Ukraine in 2022, Ukrainian media said, citing Macron.
During the conference, French Minister of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty Bruno Le Maire signed two agreements with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) on providing 100 million euros in guarantees to support Ukraine's critical infrastructure.
Thanks to the France-EBRD risk sharing mechanism, these guarantees will help provide 200 million euros in emergency liquidity support to Naftogaz of Ukraine to enable it to purchase gas for the winter season and will help Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways) fund its priority expenses.
Furthermore, Le Maire and Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal signed an agreement on a French Treasury low-interest loan of 37.6 million euros to supply 20,000 tonnes of rails produced by France's Saarstahl company to repair more than 150 kilometers of railroads in Ukraine.
In addition, a memorandum was signed between the Matiere company and the Ukravtodor state road agency of Ukraine to deliver some 25 prefabricated bridges worth over 30 million euros, which will be provided by France, the minister said.
An agreement was also signed on a project that allows three French companies - MAS Seeds, Lideas Seeds and RAGT - to export seeds worth over 20 million euros to Ukraine. The fact that the state will cover all risks related to this deal makes it possible to implement this important project to support Ukraine's agricultural sector.
An agreement signed by Le Maire with Shmygal and Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister and Digital Transformation Minister Mikhail Fyodorov will give impetus to digital cooperation between France and Ukraine. As part of this agreement, the two countries adopted a roadmap aimed at achieving prompt and concrete results in key areas of Ukraine's digital sovereignty and development, such as cybersecurity and the financing of startups via a fund involving French and Ukrainian IT startuppers. Ecole 42 and Station F, for their part, will provide training and support for the ecosystem of Ukrainian startups.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko said that France will provide support in the amount of 415 million euros to help repair Ukraine's power grid.
"Our needs keep growing on a weekly basis. The priority is high-voltage equipment, but other equipment and spare parts are also needed in order to repair the grid. The support in the amount of 415 million euros to be provided to Ukraine by France will significantly help restore the Ukrainian energy sector," Ukrainian media said, citing Galushchenko's statement circulated by the Energy Ministry's press service.
Nearly 50% of Ukraine's energy infrastructure has been damaged, and there is a need for gas turbines and gas-piston units to ensure the stable operation of the country's power grid, he said.