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A Japanese trade promotion agency has opened an office in Kyiv to facilitate private businesses’ entry into Ukraine, in one of Japan’s latest efforts to support the war-ravaged country’s economy amid Russia’s prolonged invasion.
The government-backed Japan External Trade Organization launched the office on Oct 10, and it has already begun conducting research, providing information on local investment conditions and offering business-matching opportunities for Japanese firms.
At a ceremony held in the Ukrainian capital to commemorate the launch, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said in a video message that he hopes the JETRO Kyiv Office will “serve as a bridge for the further development and prosperity of our two countries.”
“Japan will continue to contribute to the sustainable development of Ukraine through public-private partnership by providing ‘uniquely Japanese’ support to address the challenges Ukraine faces, such as economic reconstruction and a stable energy supply,” said the prime minister, who took office on Oct 1.
The event was attended by key Ukrainian political and business figures, among whom Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal was quoted by JETRO as expressing hope that the office will lead to promotion of investment that will benefit both countries.
Also among the participants were representatives from 10 firms dispatched as part of a Japanese business mission, including agricultural startup Waku Inc, which is developing a new type of organic fertilizer.
The company’s CEO Ryosuke Himeno said it hopes to make inroads into Ukraine — a major agricultural exporter — faster than other companies, even as the war continues.
The establishment of a JETRO office in Kyiv was part of a series of agreements reached during a Japan-hosted Ukraine reconstruction conference in February.
As of October 2023, 38 Japanese companies were engaged in business activities in Ukraine in the fields of manufacturing, wholesale, information and communication technology and agriculture, according to JETRO.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022, Japan, in accordance with its war-renouncing Constitution, has primarily provided nonmilitary support to Ukraine, unlike Western nations that have supplied weapons and ammunition.
© KYODO