Taiwan and Ukraine Sign Capacity-Building Agreement to Deepen Post-War Reconstruction

Taiwan is continuing to expand its substantive support for Ukraine, deepening bilateral economic, trade, and educational cooperation on the European frontlines. Representative to Poland Bob Liu formally signed a capacity-building cooperation agreement via video link on the 16th local time with Maksym Shapoval, Director of the Kyiv School of Economics Institute, a top Ukrainian think tank. This collaboration marks a further elevation of bilateral interaction between Taiwan and Ukraine, moving beyond humanitarian aid—forged through the trials of war—toward institutional and long-term cooperation in economic governance and talent cultivation, fully demonstrating Taiwan's concrete commitment as a responsible member of the international democratic community.

According to the terms of the agreement signed by both parties, this cooperation program will precisely address Ukraine's most pressing needs for current reconstruction and long-term development. The Taiwanese side will combine its globally leading advantages in building critical supply chain resilience, semiconductor industry talent cultivation, and digital governance to engage in deep exchanges with the Kyiv School of Economics. Through a cross-sector collaborative model involving industry, government, and academia, the initiative will assist Ukraine in rebuilding a more modernized, transparent, and efficient economic system amidst the devastation of war, laying a solid institutional foundation for future national reconstruction.

As Ukraine's premier academic and policy research institution, the Kyiv School of Economics has long played a critical role in advancing the country's economic reforms and cultivating a new generation of financial and public governance talent. Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, the institution has not only maintained its academic operations but also actively participated in think-tank planning for national post-war reconstruction. Its decision to partner with Taiwan's representative office reflects the recognition of Taiwan's strong industrial resilience and high-tech governance experience accumulated through geopolitical challenges and economic transformation—qualities of exceptionally high reference value and substantive benefit to a Ukraine urgently seeking to revitalize its economy and supply chains.

Reviewing Taiwan's response since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the government and civil society have consistently stood with the Ukrainian people. From the rapid collection and dispatch of medical supplies and humanitarian relief funds in the early stages of the war to subsequent efforts to assist Ukrainian small and medium-sized enterprises with transformation and provide scholarships for refugees, Taiwan has consistently taken pragmatic and warm-hearted concrete actions. The signing of the capacity-building agreement with the Kyiv School of Economics further symbolizes that Taiwan's aid strategy toward Ukraine has officially transitioned from early emergency disaster relief into deep institutional construction and cooperation for the country's long-term development, demonstrating our nation's critical value within the international democratic alliance.

From the perspective of geopolitics and diplomatic strategy, Taiwan and Ukraine are both key partners standing on the frontlines of the democratic defense line. Amid pressures from the expansion of authoritarianism, their mutual exchanges of experience and substantive cooperation appear all the more precious. The signing of this agreement not only consolidates Taiwan's substantive diplomatic achievements with Central and Eastern European nations but also proves to the international community that Taiwan has the capability and willingness to contribute its professional strengths to help global democratic partners counter adversity. As various cooperation projects are gradually implemented in the future, they are expected to further deepen the linkages between Taiwan and Ukraine across industrial, academic, and research sectors, writing a new chapter for global supply chain security and democratic governance.