The Ministry of Finance of Ukraine and the Council of Europe Development Bank reviewed new cooperation initiatives in the recovery and healthcare sector

On 13 February, Minister of Finance of Ukraine Sergii Marchenko met with representatives of the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) to discuss priority cooperation projects. 

The meeting was attended by Deputy Minister of Finance Olga Zykova and Government Commissioner for Public Debt Management Yuriy Butsa. The Bank was represented by the Director of the CEB's Crediting and Social Development Department Christian Tabacaru, Acting Director of the CEB's Technical Assessment and Monitoring Department Thomas Eriksson, and Head of the CEB's Grant Operations and New Instruments Department Jasmina Glisovic.

Sergii Marchenko thanked the CEB representatives for their willingness to contribute towards providing much-needed social assistance to Ukraine. 

"Since February 2022, Ukraine has been facing challenges caused by russia's illegal, cruel war. We are grateful to the Bank for including Ukraine in its membership and for contributing to the implementation of an important healthcare programme. Restoring and facilitating access to essential healthcare services, in particular in the de-occupied territories of Ukraine, is vital for our citizens, especially in the context of a full-scale war," said Sergii Marchenko.

The EUR 100 million project launched by the CEB is part of the World Bank's Heal Ukraine project and will be implemented on a co-financing basis.

The parties also discussed their intention to initiate new and effective joint projects with the Bank in the near future.

"The Ukrainian side is ready to further expand cooperation and implement new projects, in particular in the areas of restoration of damaged housing, healthcare and psychological support for people affected by the armed aggression against Ukraine. Currently, we are actively working on the preparation of all necessary procedures and regulations for effective cooperation with the CEB", Deputy Minister of Finance Olga Zykova added.

In June 2023, Ukraine completed the accession process and became the 43rd member state of the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB). In November, Deputy Minister of Finance of Ukraine Olga Zykova was appointed as the representative of Ukraine to the Administrative Board of the CEB by the Decree of the President of Ukraine.

Additional  information

The Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) is a multilateral financial institution with a strong social focus.

The CEB's current activities are divided into the following sectors: refugees and migrants, social housing, improvement of living conditions, environmental protection, disaster management and prevention, education, health, cultural heritage, public administration, and support for small and medium-sized enterprises. CEB also has export potential in the areas of civil infrastructure construction, housing, education and healthcare.