On 21 January, Ukraine and Switzerland signed a Memorandum of Understanding launching the new large-scale economic resilience programme “Competitiveness for the Recovery of Ukraine 2026–2030.”
The Memorandum was signed by Oleksii Sobolev, Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine, and Jacques Gerber, Delegate of the Swiss Federal Council for Ukraine, representing the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). The signing ceremony took place on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The Embassy of Ukraine in Switzerland joined the event and took part in the signing ceremony.
The Memorandum lays the groundwork for long-term cooperation between Ukraine and Switzerland aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s economic resilience, enhancing the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises, and supporting their integration into European and global value chains.
The programme focuses on four key strategic pillars:
Improving the business environment – strengthening the regulatory framework, digitalising public services, and reducing administrative burdens for entrepreneurs.
Strengthening institutions – supporting business associations and regional development agencies to facilitate SMEs’ access to new markets.
Enterprise modernisation – providing direct technical assistance to businesses for the introduction of green technologies, automation, and EU quality standards.
Human capital development – cooperation with the International Labour Organization to support the economic inclusion of veterans, women, and internally displaced persons.
The programme will cover ten regions of Ukraine where Regional Development Agencies are already active, as well as regions involved in other Swiss-funded projects. This approach will contribute to balanced regional recovery and job creation at the local level.
The programme is fully aligned with Ukraine’s national strategies and the Ukraine Facility plan.