On April 29, 2026, the State Institution "Institute for Soil Protection of Ukraine" was visited by a delegation led by the Special Envoy of the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Ukraine, Jan De Pauw, with the participation of FAO representatives.

The purpose of the visit was to familiarize themselves with the national potential of Ukraine in the field of research of soils affected by hostilities, as well as with approaches to the identification, assessment and management of contaminated areas.

During the meeting, the main areas of activity of the institution, its powers and role in conducting laboratory research, technical assessment of soil conditions and supporting decision-making on land use and restoration were presented.

Representatives of the delegation also got acquainted with the work of the laboratory and the equipment used for conducting research. In particular, new equipment received under the agreement between the governments of Ukraine and Japan on technical cooperation and grant assistance (JICA Emergency Recovery Program) was presented, which allows for increased accuracy and efficiency in assessing the condition of soils in areas affected by hostilities.