Director of EU Service for Foreign Policy Instruments witnesses progress with debris removal and demining in Kyiv Oblast

Peter M. Wagner, Director of the Service for Foreign Policy Instruments of the European Commission, visited the Ivankiv community in Kyiv Oblast on 2 October to witness progress with debris removal and demining.

In August 2022, the European Commission, through its Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI), contributed €20 million to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to support debris removal and restoration of critical infrastructure in Ukraine.

The funds also are being used to identify, map and neutralise urgent environmental threats and to help repair, restore, and/or procure strategic infrastructure, in particular, to improve water and energy supply in affected areas.

During his visit to Ivankiv, Wagner said the European Union was focusing on multiple recovery fields in Ukraine, with an emphasis on demining, debris removal, small-scale infrastructure repairs, and support for immediately war-affected communities. “The situation in Ivankiv clearly indicates why these areas are prioritised,” he said.

“Our primary commitment is to ensure that neighbourhoods are free of mines and unexploded ordnance,” said UNDP Resident Representative Jaco Cilliers . “This is a lengthy and arduous process, but it’s a responsibility we must shoulder with the utmost care and precision, guaranteeing the safety of every individual who calls this land home.”

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