On July 24, 2024, Ministry for Strategic Industries of Ukraine, Ministry of Defence of Ukraine and French Directorate General of Armaments of the French Ministry of Armed Forces held the first meeting of the Steering Board established for facilitation of joint defense industry projects.

Steering Board creation was agreed in the Statement of Intent signed on June 7, 2024, between the Minister for Strategic Industries of Ukraine Oleksandr Kamyshin and France’s Minister of the Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu.

The Statement of Intent builds upon the historical Agreement on security cooperation between Ukraine and France signed by the French President Emmanuel Macron and the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Paris on 16 February 2024. The agreement envisages among other things support by France of Ukraine’s efforts to develop its defence industrial base via French investments and manufacturing localization.

The objective of the Steering Board is to facilitate partnership efforts between French and Ukrainian defence industries. The Board is co-chaired by Emmanuel Chiva, the Chief Executive of the Directorate General of Armaments, and Sergiy Boyev, Deputy Minister for Strategic Industries of Ukraine. Ukrainian party was also represented by Anna Gvozdiar, Deputy Minister for Strategic Industries of Ukraine, and Oleksandr Serhiy, Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine, as well as other representatives of the ministries and the Command of the Logistics Forces of the AFU.

The initial meeting was devoted to the organization and process of the Board operation, plan for the next few months and detailed presentation by invited French and Ukrainian companies of the partnership opportunity in French armored vehicles sustainment in Ukraine. Going forward, French and Ukrainian companies pursuing joint projects will be invited to present and discuss them at the Board’s sessions.

«Today we set up a platform for facilitating of the joint projects between French and Ukrainian industries with involvement of key stakeholders. I am sure this will help us to accelerate implementation», stated Sergiy Boyev, Deputy Minister for Strategic Industries of Ukraine.

Cooperation between Ukrainian and French defence companies is already underway. On 7^th June, in Paris, representatives of Ukrainian and French defence companies signed a licence agreement for the production of 155 calibre ammunition under the KNDS France/Nexter licence. They also signed statements of intent to establish a service and repair centre for KNDS France/Nexter equipment in Ukraine and to use 3D printing technology to manufacture spare parts for the company. KNDS announced the opening of a subsidiary in Ukraine.

UDI JSC have signed two documents with the French company Thales during the international exhibitions for the defence industry Eurosatory. The first is a memorandum on the establishment of a joint venture in Ukraine that will repair and modernise equipment for electronic warfare, communications, air defence systems and radars.

The second concerns the French side's intention to establish a service centre in Ukraine that will maintain and test electronic warfare equipment and radars.