Austria to provide 5 mln euros to restore electrical substations in Ukraine

MOSCOW. Feb 2 (Interfax) - Austria's Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation, and Technology will disburse 5 million euros to help restore electrical substations, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen said.

"Our ministry will provide 5 million euros for the restoration of electrical substations in Ukraine," Ukrainian media said, citing Van der Bellen's statement made at a press conference with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky in Kiev on Wednesday.

Austria is also exploring possibilities to support the Ukrainian economy and to participate in the country's recovery, he said.

A new batch of humanitarian aid will be sent to Ukraine within the next few weeks, he added.

"We will be supporting the Ukrainian people through all possible means of humanitarian assistance. I want to assure you about it," Van der Bellen said.

Two memorandums on energy and environmental protection were also signed during the Ukraine-Austria summit, Ukrainian media said.

According to the Ukrainian presidential press service, the memorandum of understanding to launch a partnership in the energy transition and renewable energy resources was signed by Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko and Austria's Minister for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation, and Technology Leonore Gewessler.

The document addresses the implementation of the energy transition and the deployment of renewable energy resources.

The memorandum allows the parties to exchange their advanced experience as part of the energy transition (energy system planning, state support arrangements, etc.), introduce innovative technologies in the field of renewable energy resources, manage demand and develop distributed generation, as well as accelerate the deployment and use of renewable hydrogen.

Furthermore, the document paves the way for setting up a joint working group to tackle organizational issues and plan further cooperation.

The memorandum of understanding in the field of environmental protection, signed by Gewessler and Ukraine's Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Minister Ruslan Strelets, creates conditions conducive to developing and advancing bilateral cooperation between Ukraine and Austria in environmental protection.

It is another step forward on Ukraine's path toward its membership in the European Union, the presidential press service said.