An important element of Ukrainian European integration is establishing cooperation between Ukraine and Europe at the municipal level.
This opinion was voiced by the mayor of Bucha, Anatoliy Fedoruk, during the Second International Summit of Cities and Regions.
“Ukraine, having received candidacy for the European Union, is building dialogue and relations with the EU not only at the intergovernmental and interparliamentary levels, but also at the intermunicipal level. And when we talk about the integration of Ukraine into the European family, it is almost impossible to achieve this without cooperation at the municipal level. It is cities and communities that are the basis of democracy, freedoms and rights that are realized in Europe,” Anatoliy Fedoruk is convinced.
Mayor of Bucha also emphasized that thanks to such cooperation, the reconstruction process was significantly accelerated. In particular, Ukraine receives from partners equipment, necessary equipment and materials for restoration, as well as knowledge and experience.
“On behalf of the Buchan community, I will say that even before the full-scale invasion, we had close partnership relations with the municipalities of European countries: Poland, France, Italy, Lithuania. And now, based on today’s needs, such cooperation has become more quantitative and qualitative. We sincerely aspire and believe that we complement, in fact, the development not only of the municipalities of Ukraine, but also of our partners. Because there is something to convey and share from Ukraine,” Anatoliy Fedoruk stressed.
He also noted that Bucha signed an agreement on cooperation with the Italian city of Bergamo as part of the activities of the International Summit of Cities and Regions.
“It was the Congress of local and regional authorities under the President of Ukraine that gave us the opportunity to cooperate with international missions and donors in matters of reconstruction and development of the Buchan community. Therefore, both the Congress and this Summit are a platform that provides an opportunity to exchange ideas, outline courses and plans for the future. And the most important thing is to report on the results of the work achieved,” Anatoliy Fedoruk emphasized.
See more in the video at the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4YbhIWxXxI
