The Ukraine Recovery Conference 2024 (URC2024) will take place in Berlin on 11 and 12 June. Its motto is: “United in Defence. United in Recovery. Stronger together”. Some 2,000 participants representing more than 70 countries as well as international organisations, business, civil society, regions and municipalities are expected to attend. The conference will be opened by Federal Chancellor Scholz and President Zelenskyy.

Says Federal Minister Habeck: The conferences sends a clear and unequivocal message to Russia: Germany and its partners are supporting Ukraine in all areas and with all their power, and are seeking to open up clear prospects for the country in the post-war period. Today, we are sending a message of unity in our support that also acts as a beacon of hope to the people in Ukraine who are exposed to the horrors of war on a daily basis. A focus of today’s conference is on the key and manifold roles business can play for a successful and sustainable recovery of Ukraine: from defence, to repairing destroyed energy infrastructure, to long-term reconstruction. Today, we are bringing together representatives of all relevant areas to become even more effective as we join forces in support of Ukraine. A newly created Business Advisory Council will support the recovery process by advising both donor countries and Ukraine. We are also signing a number of cooperation agreements and letters of intent, thus strengthening Ukraine – not least on its path towards EU membership. I am delighted that we have found a competent and committed chairperson in Dr Christian Bruch, CEO of Siemens Energy.

The Recovery Forum resembles a trade fair. Ten international business-driven projects in Ukraine that are already helping to strengthen the country will be highlighted and designated as flagship projects.

Among other points, the conference will focus on export credit and investment guarantees. A large number of corporate cooperation and investment agreements worth billions of euros are expected to be concluded, particularly in the fields of infrastructure, energy and renewables.

The Business Advisory Council, a centralised new advisory body on recovery in Ukraine aimed at international business, will be established. It will hold its first meeting on the fringes of the URC and be integrated into the international Donor Coordination Platform for Ukraine (MDCP). The Business Advisory Council will give advice to donor countries and Ukraine during the process of recovery.

The URC was established as an annual international format in 2017. Initially called Ukraine Reform Conference, it used to centre on the debate on the progress of reform in Ukraine. When Russia began its full-blown war of aggression against the country, the conference was renamed Ukraine Recovery Conference.