Immediately after the liberation of Chernihiv region from Russian occupiers, France was one of the first countries to come to the aid of the de-occupied region. Demonstrating its commitment to supporting Ukraine as a whole by providing humanitarian, economic, financial, diplomatic, and military assistance, France announced its intention to focus its efforts specifically on supporting the reconstruction of the Chernihiv region. France is actively involved in implementing a range of state and private initiatives. In particular, through the RELEVE project, funded by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (DGM), support is provided for the restoration of the Chernihiv region in cooperation with the Ministry of Communities, Territories, and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine and the Chernihiv Regional State Administration. There is also close collaboration with local authorities of the Chernihiv region to achieve a strategic vision for the recovery process, enhance Ukraine’s resilience, and support its path to European integration.

The main goal of the project is to develop and finalize a Comprehensive Recovery Program for the Chernihiv region, outlining the primary spatial, urban planning, and socio-economic policy objectives for recovery, as well as a set of measures aimed at revitalizing areas affected by armed aggression or those facing social, economic, infrastructural, environmental, or other crises within the region.

Experts from the Department of Economics, Accounting, and Taxation, Zhanna Deri, Oksana Minina, and Nataliia Shadura- Nykyporetc, who are involved in the RELEVE project as experts for Expertise France, presented the interim results of the development process of the Comprehensive Recovery Program for the Chernihiv region during a working group meeting. They outlined the plans and next steps for its completion.

The French International Technical Cooperation Agency “Expertise France” is part of the French Development Agency group (Agence française de développement) and is under the authority of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Economy, Finance, Industrial Sovereignty, and Digitalization of France.