BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 13. The Estonian
Center for International Development (ESTDEV) and the Japan
International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have signed a cooperation
agreement in Tokyo to construct apartment buildings for internally
displaced people in Ukraine’s Zhytomyr region, Trend reports.
Under the agreement, Japan will join Estonia’s apartment
construction project by providing facade materials for a new
residential building in the town of Brusyliv.
The materials will be supplied by NICHIHA Corporation, one of
Japan’s leading producers of fiber cement facade panels. This
initiative is part of JICA’s program to engage Japan’s private
sector in Ukraine’s reconstruction.
The partnership was announced at a high-level Ukraine Business
Forum in Tokyo, attended by Japan’s Vice Minister of Economy, Trade
and Industry Akiyoshi Kato, JICA Vice President Shohei Hara, JETRO
Director General Norihiko Ishiguro, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister
for European Integration Taras Kachka, and First Lady of Ukraine
Olena Zelenska. Estonia was represented by Oliver Ait, the
Embassy’s Business and Investment Adviser in Tokyo.
“JICA is working with 12 Japanese companies, including NICHIHA,
to expand private sector participation in Ukraine’s recovery. We
are grateful to the Estonian government and ESTDEV for their
efforts in delivering our first joint project. We look forward to
continuing to explore future cooperation opportunities in support
of Ukraine,” said Kei Toyama, Director General for the Middle East
and Europe at JICA.
Oliver Ait emphasized that bilateral relations between Estonia
and Japan have developed into a dynamic partnership covering
business, innovation, and security.
“As both countries are long-term supporters of Ukraine, I am
pleased to see ESTDEV, JICA, and private sector partners working
together on reconstruction. The Estonian Embassy in Tokyo will
continue to support and expand this cooperation,” he said.
The joint project will deliver an 18-apartment modular wooden
building in Brusyliv, meeting EU energy efficiency standards,
following passive house principles, and utilizing solar power.
ESTDEV will oversee the design, procurement, production,
installation, and project management.
Following a recent tender, ESTDEV signed a 1.99 million euros
contract with Estonia’s largest modular housing producer, Harmet
OÜ, which will manufacture, transport, and install the modules in
Ukraine. The building, including an integrated bomb shelter, is
expected to be completed by spring 2026.
“Millions of Ukrainians have lost their homes and need not just
temporary shelter but a permanent place to rebuild their lives.
Estonia has world-class expertise in modular wooden housing, one of
the fastest and most cost-effective ways to create quality homes.
That is what we are offering Ukraine,” said Margus Gering, ESTDEV’s
Director for Ukraine Reconstruction and Head of the European
Region.
“We are grateful to JICA for their trust. Launching this first
joint project offers both countries’ private sectors the
opportunity to contribute to Ukraine’s recovery. Together with
Japan’s NICHIHA and Estonia’s Harmet, we are not only building
homes but also strengthening local construction capacity, which is
critical for the country’s rebuilding. I believe the Brusyliv
project marks the beginning of a long-term Estonia–Japan
partnership in Ukraine,” he added.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM),
there are approximately 3.7 million internally displaced people in
Ukraine.
Zhytomyr region, where Estonia has concentrated much of its
reconstruction work, received about 126,000 displaced persons
during the early months of the war, with 56,000 remaining. Housing
shortages remain one of the area’s biggest challenges, making
Estonia’s construction projects critical to addressing the
crisis.
In addition to the Brusyliv development, ESTDEV is also
renovating an apartment building for displaced people in the town
of Ovruch in western Ukraine.
AloJapan.com