Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Kyrylo Tymoshenko held a meeting with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Turkey to Ukraine Yağmur Ahmet Güldere, during which the issue of Turkey's participation in the reconstruction of the Kharkiv region was discussed.
Kyrylo Tymoshenko emphasized that Fast Recovery plans for important infrastructure have been developed for each region of the country. He presented such a plan for the Kharkiv region to the diplomat.
"In this regard, we have a list of objects that need to be restored now, in the near future. These are private houses, apartments, schools, kindergartens and healthcare facilities, networks," said the Deputy Head of the Office of the President.
He noted that reconstruction planning must be started now so that after the end of the war, Ukrainian citizens would be able to return home as soon as possible.
Currently, there are a total of 6,238 objects in need of restoration in the Kharkiv region: 2,589 residential buildings, more than 3,000 private houses, 120 schools (15 completely destroyed and 105 partially destroyed), 109 kindergartens (8 destroyed, 101 partially destroyed), 45 medical institutions and 294 network objects. He also noted that 1,542 of the buildings were completely destroyed, and 1,047 were partially destroyed.
However, as Kyrylo Tymoshenko noted, the Kharkiv region borders the aggressor country and is under fire from the Russian army almost every day, so the needs for its reconstruction may change.
The Deputy Head of the President's Office talked about the creation of an online platform where information about all objects in need of restoration or reconstruction is entered. Data on the platform is updated daily.
"What do we want to do in the Kharkiv region first? We need to restore private and apartment buildings, because we want people to come back, because this will have a positive effect on the economy of the region. We have to provide housing, we have to restore schools, because children have to go to school, restore kindergartens, medical facilities," said Kyrylo Tymoshenko.
Ambassador Yağmur Ahmet Güldere, for his part, noted that many Turkish citizens lived and studied in Kharkiv, so Turkey is ready to support Ukraine in the reconstruction of the region.
The diplomat added that at the international conference in Lugano, he saw the presentation of the Recovery Plan of Ukraine. He reminded that Turkish companies have considerable experience of working in our country and are ready to participate not only in local projects in the Kharkiv region, but also in the implementation of the national reconstruction plan.
The interlocutors discussed the mechanisms of cooperation, coordination, attraction of investors and the order of implementation of projects over which the Turkish side plans to take patronage.
Kyrylo Tymoshenko and Yağmur Ahmet Güldere also touched upon the issue of Turkey's participation in providing the Kharkiv region with modular houses.
Adviser to the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Turkey to Ukraine Kaan Başkurt also took part in the meeting. In the online format, the conversation was joined by Head of the Kharkiv Military Administration Oleh Syniehubov, mayor of Kharkiv Ihor Terekhov and Ambassador of Ukraine to Turkey Vasyl Bodnar.