The geological services of Ukraine and France have joined forces for the joint verification of strategic deposits, which is of great importance for ensuring the resource independence of both countries.
This is reported by Finway
Deepening Cooperation in Geology
The start of this cooperation was announced by the acting head of the State Geological and Subsoil Service, Serhiy Vlasenko, during the first meeting of the Ukrainian-French Business Council, which took place on May 28. The main topic of the meeting was the initiation of a new stage in relations between Ukrainian and French businesses at the institutional level. This issue was previously agreed upon during negotiations between Ukraine’s Minister of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture Oleksiy Sobolev and his French counterpart.
Vlasenko emphasized that Ukrainian and French geologists have already moved on to the practical implementation of joint initiatives. In particular, a project has been launched to verify a graphite deposit, which is a strategic raw material for both countries.
“Such success stories are the shortest path to building cooperation and mutual trust and deserve scaling up joint projects,” the statement said.
Memorandum and Business Participation
In 2026, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the State Geological Service and the French Bureau of Geological and Mining Research (BRGM), which creates a legal framework for the implementation of specific joint projects in the geological field.
During the meeting, Serhiy Vlasenko urged business representatives to take an active part in the development of Ukraine’s mining industry and assured them of the State Geological Service’s openness to cooperation with French companies.
The Ukrainian-French Business Council was established on February 4, 2026, as part of the work of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation. Its task is to promote investment attraction, the development of joint projects, and the expansion of the presence of Ukrainian companies in the markets of France and the European Union. From the French side, the co-chair is the organization MEDEF International.
On May 28, the Ukrainian part of the Business Council was formed, which includes representatives of leading national companies, industry associations, and institutions, including Naftogaz of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Grain Association (UGA), the Ukrainian Club of Agrarian Business (UCAB), MHP, Ukrzaliznytsia, Ukrvodokanalekologiya, UkrHydroEnergo, Metinvest, and others.