Continuing to inform you about the visit of the delegation of the Association "Airports of Ukraine" CA to Norway, at the invitation of the management of the state airport management company "AVINOR AS" (43 airports), we would like to talk about perhaps one of the most pressing issues at the moment - the support of Ukrainian airports, airlines and creating conditions for their further training to carry out basic operational activities.
One of our meetings was devoted to issues of charitable support. Vice President of AVINOR AS for infrastructure development, Ms. Helen Winter Dyrstad, spoke in detail about Norway's Official State Support Program "The Fridtjof Nansen program". The Fridtjof Nansen Program is an initiative of the Norwegian government aimed at providing support of various types, including humanitarian aid, development and civil society building in various regions of the world. Named after Fridtjof Nansen, a Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat and humanitarian, this program embodies Norway's commitment to international cooperation and assistance.
The program is designed for 5 years (2023-2027) and covers a wide range of areas, including:
- Military support;
- Short-term civilian humanitarian aid;
- Financing support for the development of Ukrainian society.
It should be noted that the Norwegian government has designated the European Union's Emergency Response Coordination Center (ERCC) as the official channel for organizing and coordinating the support process.
The total budget of the program is 7 billion euros. At the same time, the needs of the Ukrainian side are a key factor in obtaining support from Norway. Requests for support will be processed sequentially, and the work will be organized primarily through the European Union's Emergency Response Coordination Center (ERCC) which, in turn, cooperates with the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) and the Directorate for Civil Protection (DCP) ).
AVINOR AS, as a participant in the government support program, is ready to consider any requests related to the needs of civil aviation:
- Short-term needs;
- Long-term needs;
- Needs related to airport infrastructure;
- Learning and education needs;
- Needs for modern equipment and special equipment.
In conclusion, we would like to emphasize that the Fridtjof Nansen program is an important component of Norway's foreign policy and aid efforts aimed at providing support and opportunities for further development during the emergence of global problems, crisis phenomena and challenges. Airports and airlines of Ukraine, in this difficult time of Russian aggression, need support and assistance, and the company AVINOR AS is willing and able to provide it.
Taking into account the mechanism for organizing support provided by the Norwegian government, in our opinion the Ministry of Community Development, Territories and Infrastructure of Ukraine should take on the role of organizer and coordinator of the process from our side.
