Germany has announced the launch of a series of initiatives aimed at attracting investment to Ukraine and supporting reforms in the employment sector. This was stated by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz during a business forum in Berlin. According to him, a European flagship fund for the reconstruction of Ukraine is planned to be established in 2026 in partnership with other European countries. This investment mechanism will involve active participation from private investors and is expected to provide significant funding for Ukrainian projects even in the context of a challenging economic situation.
This is reported by Finway
New Tools for Supporting Business and Developing the Labor Market
During the forum, Germany’s Minister of Economy, Kateryna Reiche, presented a new financial instrument called Ukraine Connect, designed to facilitate the country’s reconstruction. This instrument will provide additional capital to German companies already operating or planning to expand their activities in the Ukrainian market.
“The Ukraine Connect instrument, which will be implemented through relevant European institutions, is precisely the mechanism for providing additional capital to German companies seeking to operate in Ukraine. It will allow them to expand their presence, make investments, and will also help the Ukrainian government implement investment programs more effectively. This means that we will be able to work together and provide investment incentives to German companies that are already expanding their operations in Ukraine,” said Ukraine’s Minister of Economy Oleksiy Sobolev.
Joint Declaration on Labor Market Reform and New JobConnect Program
The ministries of economy of Ukraine and Germany have signed a Declaration of Intent to support labor market reform under the JobConnect program. The initiative aims to strengthen Ukraine’s socio-economic development and facilitate its European integration. The program includes the development of modern employment services, improvement of approaches to job matching, training, and the implementation of solutions to reintegrate people into the labor market and enhance their competitiveness.
JobConnect is a new project funded by the German government and implemented by the organization GIZ GmbH. Starting in 2026, Germany will allocate 10 million euros for the implementation of the program, which will expand opportunities for Ukrainian workers and support labor market reform.