Despite Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, the Japan External Trade Organization hopes to aid the reconstruction of Ukraine's economy by backing moves among Japanese and Ukrainian companies to bolster ties.
To that end, the organization held an event in Kyiv on Thursday to help Japanese and Ukrainian companies pursue business opportunities.
The event was attended by 10 Japanese companies, including logistics giant Nippon Express, and around 20 Ukrainian businesses and organizations, including chemical firm Enamine.
"While the fighting continues, the reconstruction process has already started," said an official at Padeco, a Japanese consultancy for international development projects.
An Enamine official expressed gratitude for the opportunity to speak with people from Japanese companies.
The networking event was organized by government-linked JETRO following a Japan-Ukraine meeting held in Tokyo in February to discuss support for the war-torn nation's reconstruction.
The business environment is tough, given that there are restrictions on people visiting Ukraine from Japan.
Still, Susumu Kataoka, president of JETRO, stressed the need for Japanese companies to "work on reconstruction support with both feet planted firmly on the ground."
He highlighted the significance of in-person meetings among officials from Japanese and Ukrainian companies to exchange information.