Ukraine seeks continued French support for energy sector recovery

Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy, Denys Shmyhal, has held talks with France’s Minister of Economy, Finance and Industrial, Energy and Digital Sovereignty, Roland Lescure, focusing on energy security and continued bilateral cooperation.

During the conversation, Shmyhal briefed his French counterpart on the severe challenges facing Ukraine’s energy sector as a result of Russia’s targeted strikes against civilian infrastructure, Caliber.Az reports, citing Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy.

He outlined priority measures required for the sector’s recovery and expressed gratitude to France for its readiness to provide additional assistance, including the supply of power generators.

Shmyhal also thanked France for the €90 billion EU support loan for Ukraine, stressing the importance of allocating resources within the €30 billion budget component specifically for energy restoration. “This is critically important for our resilience,” he noted, adding that Ukraine is counting on France’s continued support.

Since March 2022, France has delivered 46 shipments of humanitarian aid to Ukraine containing energy equipment and has contributed €5.7 million to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund.

By Vafa Guliyeva