GDANSK (WAM)
On behalf of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Reem bint Ebrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation and the Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs to Ukraine, led a UAE delegation to the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) 2026, which was held in Gdansk, Poland.
Co-hosted by the governments of Poland and Ukraine, this year's conference brought together governments, international institutions, and the private sector to align global efforts in support of Ukraine's recovery, reconstruction, and long-term resilience.
The UAE’s participation in the conference for the third year reflected its firm commitment and steadfast support for the people of Ukraine, under the leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and highlighted the UAE as a trusted mediator in advancing diplomatic and humanitarian solutions.
The UAE has facilitated 25 rounds of prisoner exchanges, bringing the total number of captives exchanged between the two countries through UAE-mediated efforts to 7,791, and it hosted two sessions of trilateral talks between the United States, Ukraine, and Russia in Abu Dhabi in January and February 2026.
On the humanitarian front, the UAE has provided medical, food and energy support, as well as generators, laptops, and school supplies, through relief flights and sea shipments, and is working together with European partners to advance educational continuity and economic resilience in Ukraine.
The UAE’s commitment is equally reflected on the economic front, through the signing of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in 2025, which is set to enter into force in July 2026, marking it a sign of confidence in Ukraine's resilience and long-term role in global food security, logistics, and investment.
Earlier this year, the UAE-Ukraine Joint Committee, was held in Abu Dhabi, which brought together almost 30 public and private sector entities across trade, energy, logistics, agriculture, and other fields to explore multifaceted economic partnerships as well.
To further expand business to business relations with the Ukrainian private sector, she visited the exhibitions of the Ukrainian companies present in the Recovery Conference, and met with business leaders exhibiting in key sectors, including technology, agriculture, logistics and infrastructure.
On the sidelines of the conference, Al Hashimy met with Yulia Sverydenko, Prime Minister of Ukraine, and Oleksii Sobolev, Minister of Economy, to discuss joint economic partnerships in various fields in activation of the CEPA, as well as the joint projects in Ukraine for family-based care and psychosocial support for children affected by the conflict.
She also held meetings with several European and International partners, including Radosław Sikorski, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, during which she thanked Poland for co-hosting the conference, and for Warsaw’s unequivocal support for the UAE during the Iranian aggression against it.
Al Hashimy also met Margus Tsahkna, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, James Lawless, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science of Ireland, and Fernando Brun, Secretary for International Economic Relations of Argentina, to discuss the regional developments, and joint efforts to support Ukraine’s recovery.
Al Hashimy’s participation reaffirmed that the UAE's commitment to Ukraine is measured not in conferences attended, but in the trust built and partnerships forged together.
The UAE delegation included Sultan Al Shamsi, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Development Affairs and International Organisations, Mohamed Ahmed Al Harbi, UAE Ambassador to Poland, Badr Jafar, Special Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Business and Philanthropy, and Mohammed Matar Al Khaili, Ambassador to Ukraine, along with other government and business representatives.