GERMANY will host an international conference on the reconstruction of Ukraine next year, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said following a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky in New York.

The June 11, 2024 talks will take place in Berlin, added the chancellery in a statement.

London hosted the last such conference, which brought together leaders and representatives of more than 60 countries and financial institutions in June to release funds for the country to rebuild after the Russian invasion.

The aim of the conference is to help Ukraine keep its economy afloat and, in the longer term, to rebuild its infrastructure.

Scholz met the Ukrainian president for 30 minutes on the sidelines of the UN general assembly in New York yesterday.

The political, military and humanitarian situation in Ukraine was at the centre of the discussions, the chancellery said.

Scholz reaffirmed that Germany would continue its support for Kyiv.

In a post on messaging platform Telegram, Zelensky said he and Scholz “discussed the situation on the front line and the priority needs of the defence forces of Ukraine”.

“Special attention was paid to the preparation for the international conference on the restoration of Ukraine, which will be held in Germany,” he added. – AFP, September 21, 2023.