NEW AGREEMENT STRENGTHENS EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS COOPERATION

The historically close cooperation between the Danish Emergency Management Agency and the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SESU) has been further strengthened through a strategic partnership agreement.

The partnership agreement was signed in the presence of the Minister for Societal Security and Preparedness, Torsten Schack Pedersen, and Ukraine’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Ihor Klymenko, at a ceremony held at State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SESU) headquarters in Kyiv.

The Minister for Societal Security and Preparedness, Torsten Schack Pedersen, welcomes the agreement as another important step forward in the strong partnership. “Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has now been ongoing for nearly four years. The extensive attacks on civilians and critical infrastructure in Ukraine have placed enormous strain on Ukrainian emergency responders, who continue to carry out exemplary work under extremely difficult conditions. I am pleased that with this agreement we are further expanding the important cooperation between Denmark and Ukraine in the field of emergency preparedness,” says Torsten Schack Pedersen.

The strategic partnership includes, among other things, enhanced cooperation in the following areas:

• Mutual opportunities to participate in each other’s courses and training within the field of civil protection
• Danish support to Ukraine in the form of donations and training
• Ukrainian support to Denmark through the sharing of experience related to civil protection operations in the context of war

“With this partnership agreement, we are further strengthening the ties between SESU and the Danish Emergency Management Agency. Against a tragic backdrop, SESU has built up extensive experience in civil protection during wartime and under extreme conditions. These hard-earned experiences are something we can learn a great deal from. At the same time, Denmark will continue to provide support and training to our Ukrainian colleagues, ensuring that the professional standards of both authorities remain at the highest level,” says Kenneth Pedersen, Director of the Danish Emergency Management Agency.

The visit to Ukraine also included a memorial ceremony in honour of the rescuers who lost their lives due to the Russian invasion held at the Memorial Wall outside St. Michael’s Cathedral, visits to SESU fire stations where Danish equipment is in use, as well as field visits to “invincibility points” located at the left bank of Kyiv, impact sites and bomb shelters. The DEMA delegation also visited Mykolaiv where they learned about the work performed by Ukrainian rescuers.

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Denmark has provided extensive support to Ukraine in the form of training, donations of equipment, and other assistance.