Slovenia Donates €1.5 Million to Ukraine for Humanitarian Demining
Slovenia will provide Ukraine with €1.5 million for humanitarian demining. The agreement was signed on December 4, 2023, in Ljubljana by representatives of the governments of both countries. According to the terms of the agreement, the funds will be provided on a non-repayable basis later this year, as reported by SiOL.
The agreement was signed on behalf of the Slovenian government by Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon. During the signing, she emphasized Slovenia's awareness of Ukraine's significant needs in demining and expressed support for all efforts towards the safe and sustainable reconstruction of the country.
Ms. Fajon assured that Slovenia will continue to support Ukraine on its European path. "Even as a member of the Security Council, we will strive for a fair and strong peace in Ukraine based on the restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity," she noted.
Slovenia allocates these funds for the purchase of equipment and other humanitarian measures related to demining. Ukraine, in turn, will utilize Slovenia's knowledge and experience and study the technologies and production capacities that Slovenia can offer.
As reported by the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, the signing ceremony also included the participation in an online format of the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia to Ukraine Mateja Prevolšek and the First Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Economy of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko.
"Ukraine is extremely grateful to the Government of Slovenia and the Slovenian people for the support we feel and the assistance we have been receiving since the first day of Russian aggression. The €1.5 million that Ukraine is incredibly grateful to receive today from the people of Slovenia will help provide the State Emergency Service and the State Special Transport Service with the necessary personal protection, equipment, and demining technology. These funds will expedite the clearance of explosive devices and preserve the lives and health of many Ukrainians," noted Yulia Svyrydenko.
She emphasized that Ukraine aims to develop long-term solutions and initiate projects in close cooperation and dialogue with partners that will not only meet urgent needs but also lay the foundation for long-term collaboration in this field.
Currently, Ukraine is the most mined country in the world, with nearly one-third of its territory, approximately 174 thousand square kilometres, considered potentially dangerous. The Ukrainian government aims to return 80% of these territories to economical use within 10 years.