As part of the 4th International Summit of Cities and Regions “Partnership. Resilience. Readiness,” 22 bilateral cooperation documents were signed between Ukrainian communities and foreign partners.
This was reported by the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development.
It is noted that the agreements involve 10 regions of Ukraine and representatives from more than 10 countries worldwide. The main areas of cooperation include community recovery, intermunicipal partnerships, support for frontline territories, and the development of education and local self-government.
On the Ukrainian side, representatives from the Kherson, Sumy, Chernihiv, Odessa, Vinnytsia, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Lviv, Zaporizhzhia, and Kyiv regions participated in signing memorandums and protocols of intent. Foreign partners included representatives from Norway, Finland, France, United Kingdom, Belgium, Moldova, Poland, Italy, United States, Sweden, and Germany.
“Year after year, we are convinced that when Ukrainian communities and foreign partners communicate directly, recovery happens many times faster and more effectively. For the Ministry, it is fundamentally important to support such ties, as this is the most transparent path for investment into specific cities and communities. Today’s agreements are ready-made solutions backed by concrete rebuilt facilities, restored services, and more resilient communities,” said Oleksii Kuleba.
A distinctive feature of this year’s summit was the expansion of cooperation geography to include de-occupied and frontline regions, as well as the strengthening of internal interregional cooperation within the “Shoulder to Shoulder” initiative.
In particular, the Kherson Regional Military Administration signed protocols of intent with the Vestfold Regional Council in Norway and the Regional Council of Ostrobothnia in Finland. The Sumy Regional Military Administration expanded its European cooperation through agreements with the French region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Hertfordshire County Council in the United Kingdom, and the Belgian association “Europe Prykhystok.”
Meanwhile, the Chernihiv Regional Military Administration signed a strategic agreement with the Regional Council of Île-de-France. The Olhopil community in Vinnytsia region and the Siversk community in Donetsk region signed a memorandum on trilateral cooperation with the Polish gmina of Masłowice, while Zaporizhzhia and Chernivtsi signed a similar document with the Italian city of Bergamo.
The ministry added that the cooperation established during the summit lays the groundwork for long-term partnerships that will contribute not only to the rapid restoration of damaged critical and social infrastructure, but also to the modernization of Ukraine’s local self-government system.
