The Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine - Minister of Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories Aleksey Reznikov, Minister of Finance of Ukraine Sergey Marchenko, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France to Ukraine Etienne de Ponsen and Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boichenko officially announced the start of a project to build a plant for the production of drinking water in Mariupol. Today, a financial agreement was signed between the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine and the city of Mariupol and therefore the last of the administrative and financial formalities necessary to start the project was completed.
‘This is a unique and large-scale project for the whole country and first of all for the residents of Mariupol that is the show-case of the Ukrainian Donbass. The half-million population of our city will finally receive a high-quality and efficient water supply system. I am sure that our experience will be a successful example for other cities. We will make the lives of citizens more comfortable and soon the inhabitants of Mariupol will be able to drink clean water from the tap, as residents of many European cities do,’ Vadym Boichenko said.
The first phase of the project will begin in July-August 2020 and will be implemented by the engineering company BETEN INTERNATIONAL, which will prepare a feasibility study (1-year deadline) and will also develop a master plan for improving the city's water supply and sanitation system until 2040. The design and construction phase of the drinking water plant will begin in a year to launch the plant in 2023-2024. STEREAU, a subsidiary of the SAUR group specializing in the construction of treatment facilities, will be involved in this phase.
In turn, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France to Ukraine Etienne de Ponsen noted that this project is important for improving the quality of life of Mariupol residents: ‘It indicates the establishment of a high level of trust between France and Ukraine and the presence of our country among the main partner countries, contributing to the development of the Eastern regions of Ukraine’.
Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine - Minister of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories Aleksey Reznikov noted that the modernization of the water supply system will ensure the right of every Mariupol citizen to high-quality drinking water. 'This is one of the brightest examples when there is interaction between local authorities, central authorities and our foreign partners. This is the best version of a working model that can ensure the development of Donbass infrastructure,' Alexei Reznikov added.
The project, which meets the priorities of the Government of Ukraine, is fully funded by France by providing a soft loan, the amount of which reaches EUR 64 million. Its conditions are beneficial: a loan is provided for a period of 30 years, the interest rate is 0.08% per annum and the grace period is 10 years. The project will allow Mariupol to modernize the system of providing housing and communal services of vital importance for the population, providing residents with a stable water supply and high-quality drinking water that meets international standards.
The Minister of Finance of Ukraine Sergey Marchenko believes that this is a pilot project that will become a model for the whole of Ukraine: ‘We, as the Ministry of Finance, will do everything possible to ensure this project to be successful and the funds are withdrawn as soon as possible’.
‘Due to all those who have been working on this important project for Mariupol for two and a half years. To the Embassy of France in Ukraine, the Government of France, BETEN INTERNATIONAL and the Government of Ukraine. Due to everyone who had a hand in the most important project for our half million community. It shapes European values and improves the quality of life of Mariupol residents,’ the Mayor of Mariupol summed up.
