“The International Summit of Cities and Regions became an important international event involving representatives of more than 50 different states and communities. The event proved the importance of the Congress as a platform for effective interaction between local authorities and international partners.”
The war changed the life of every Ukrainian. In conditions when few people believed in our ability to stand up to the struggle against the Russian Federation, we managed to win back part of our captured territories, consolidate the international community around us, not shrink, but on the contrary – develop key European integration reforms. Already in the second year of the full-scale war, hundreds of representatives of foreign countries had the opportunity to meet in the Ukrainian capital at the International Summit of Cities and Regions.
Among the international delegations are heads of regions, mayors of cities, heads of city associations of their states, representatives of the European Union, the Council of Europe and other international organizations.
This became an example of the successful scaling up of the activities of the Congress of Local Authorities and Regions under the President of Ukraine, within which the Summit was held. After all, direct communication between Ukrainian and foreign community leaders helps to implement successful foreign experience in Ukraine, even in conditions of full-scale war.
About the Summit
Within the framework of the Summit, foreign delegations visited the deoccupied territories of Ukraine and saw with their own eyes the consequences of Russian aggression, occupation and hostilities – everything from which Ukraine protects Europe and the democratic world. We showed the real picture of the war. And this is extremely important, because Ukraine is fighting not for territories, but for democratic values that are shared with Western countries.
The International Summit of Cities and Regions made it possible to bring the dialogue on cooperation with our international partners to a new level. We discussed the processes of development of the decentralization reform in the conditions of the war: it is important that it has not stopped, but on the contrary, it has continued. Decentralization allowed communities at the level of villages, towns, cities, districts and regions to quickly make strategically important decisions, respond to the situation on the ground, and strengthen the protection of the civilian population.
The legal regime of martial law made certain changes to local administration – military administrations were formed. This is a demand for war that has no political basis and is determined solely by issues of national security and defense.
The increased interest of the international community in decentralization processes in Ukraine today is understandable, because our experience is unique.
The war, on the one hand, caused a number of challenges, on the other hand, it gives Ukraine the opportunity to modernize the reform already in the status of a candidate country for EU membership.
The results
The International Summit of Cities and Regions became a platform not only for discussions, but also for results. We laid the foundation for effective interaction between communities at the international level.
Why is this important? Cooperation in the city-city format is fast and efficient. If we recall the attacks by the Russian Federation on the energy infrastructure of Ukraine, the goal of which was its complete destruction, the municipalities of other countries were among the first to promptly respond and provide assistance to our communities.
I am personally extremely grateful to the mayor of Paris, Mrs. Anne Hidalgo, for her consistent assistance to our state, in particular to the Kyiv region. It was Paris that became one of the leaders of energy support during the most difficult winter for Ukraine. The mayor visited Kyiv Oblast three times after the deoccupation, initiated the quick delivery of electric generators, which helped to prevent an energy crisis in the region. Ann Hidalgo’s efforts are highly appreciated by Ukraine. And during the International Summit of Cities and Regions, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy personally awarded Paris with the distinction of “city-savior”.
In addition, 11 cooperation agreements between Ukrainian and European cities and regions were signed during the event. I believe that this experience of cooperation should become the norm for all regions of Ukraine, because this is how communities function and interact in decentralized countries, in particular in the European Union.
In addition, within the Summit, representatives of more than 30 countries of the world, the Council of Europe and the European Committee of the Regions signed a Declaration condemning the war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. The partners expressed their readiness to support Ukraine in the struggle for its independence as long as it will be necessary, and also expressed their full support for communities and regions of Ukraine in the process of their reconstruction and on the path of economic, social and cultural development.
Importantly, it is an open and dynamic document. Other countries of the civilized world continue to support the Declaration. At the initiative of the head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak and representatives of foreign countries, we are making additions to this document in order to jointly achieve agreement, sectoral and international partnership.
A landmark event of the Summit was the signing of the Agreement on Ukraine’s participation in the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism. This is the world’s largest system of providing international coordinated operational assistance in emergency situations.
For Ukraine, which repels the armed aggression of the Russian Federation, involvement in such a mechanism is extremely important: after all, it is not only about raising the standards of protection of the Ukrainian population, but also the possibility of spreading the unique experience of humanitarian aid and achievements in the field of civil defense during wartime, which our State acquired during a full-scale war.
Therefore, we once again confirm the deep integration of Ukraine into the European community.
Regional Offices for International Cooperation
At the Summit, we presented the Regional Offices for International Cooperation to our partners as another concrete step towards a permanent communication format. In fact, it is a platform for coordination, finding new forms of cooperation, and direct cooperation at the level of community representatives. Both local government and regional military administrations are directly involved in such Offices.
Any states, cities, regions and international organizations that are ready to participate not only in the restoration and development of Ukrainian communities, but also ready to share experience and methodological support can join.
First of all, we are opening offices in the de-occupied regions of Ukraine. I am sure that they will become a space for unification of efforts, which will allow more effective joint efforts to overcome the challenges of the war.
Instead of conclusions
Thus, the International Summit of Cities and Regions became an important international event involving representatives of more than 50 different states and communities. The event proved the importance of the Congress as a platform for effective interaction between local authorities and international partners, which contributes to the completion of local self-government reform and the development of state regional policy in the context of the challenges of the Russian-Ukrainian war.
I am convinced that in coordination with the world community, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe, the Committee of the Regions of the EU, we will achieve our main goal – to build a high-quality system of interaction between local government and the central government. And the acquired experience and solutions – in the near future we will scale up to the communities of Luhansk region, Donetsk region, and Crimea.
Creating new meanings, leading, moderating the space of European integration is the mission of Ukrainian communities.
We are as strong as we are united.
