Taiwan agrees to contribute more funds to Ukraine reconstruction

Vilnius, Lithuania, Nov. 3 (CNA) Taiwan and Lithuania are set to work together on more reconstruction projects in war-torn Ukraine, the Lithuanian Central Project Management Agency (CPMA) has confirmed.

The CPMA said in a statement that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania on Oct. 30. As part of the agreement, Taiwan pledged to provide an additional US$5 million to work with the Lithuanian government to facilitate reconstruction work in Ukraine.

The Taiwanese funds will aim to support Ukraine's recovery efforts, specifically in education, the rehabilitation and reintegration of war veterans, and training in the safe handling of explosives and hazardous materials, the agency said.

The common efforts in rebuilding Ukraine are transforming devastated cities as well as the lives of Ukrainians, while more than 1,000 children have already returned to schools and kindergartens built as part of the Lithuania-Taiwan initiative, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of Lithuania Simonas Šatūnas said in the statement.

"With this new agreement, we will take another crucial step in renovating and modernizing rehabilitation centres for those who have bravely fought for Ukraine's freedom and the security of Europe," Šatūnas added.

It is the second MOU signed by Taiwan and the CPMA regarding the Lithuanian Fund for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid. So far, the fund has executed four projects supported by Taiwan, which has invested 4.85 million euros (US$5.28 million) into reconstruction work in Ukraine.

Through the Lithuanian Fund for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid, schools and kindergartens in the Kyiv region have secured financial assistance which has facilitated more than 1,300 children returning to education, the CPMA said.

Among the projects, a school and a kindergarten in Borodyanka, near the capital, have been rebuilt, as has another kindergarten, named "Ruta," located in the northern city of Irpin.

In the statement, Lidija Kašubienė, Director of the CPMA, said the "Ruta" kindergarten, which was 75 percent destroyed, reopened in just eight months. Meanwhile, the rebuilt school in Borodyanka now has a bomb shelter with a capacity of 1,000 people and essential equipment.

"This MOU with Taiwan is not a single gesture of a goodwill; it's a sustained commitment to impactful collaboration with our partners that we deeply value," Kašubienė said.

According to the CPMA, the Taiwanese funds will significantly aid the development and implementation of reconstruction programs in Ukraine.

In response, Constance Wang (王雪虹), head of the Taiwanese Representative office in Lithuania, said that given Ukraine is faced with unparalleled challenges after the Russian invasion, Taiwan has committed to supporting the country's recovery and reconstruction.

Wang added the new MOU underscored a belief in the transformative power of education and rehabilitation to rebuild lives and strengthen communities in Ukraine.