How the partnerships evolve 3 month after Kherson and Norrköping – resilience and partnership

Lately, the representatives of the Swedish municipality of Norrköping, Christopher Jarnvall and Thomas Svenssen, have visited Kherson, where further cooperation has been discussed.

On September 19, at a press conference in Norrköping, after the visit of Swedish community leaders to Kherson, the Swedish city of Norrköping announced its intention to sign a partnership agreement with Kherson.

Norrköping and Kherson start a cooperation. The cities have several similarities, e.g. both are important ports. Behind the initiative is the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SKR) and their organisation for international development cooperation SALAR International, also based in Lviv. Kherson is seriously hit by the war, partly destroyed and one period also flooded. A lot of civilians have been killed and injured by the enemy. – it is said in the official announcement.

’We focus on political cooperation and activities that create confidence. It was urgent for us to go to Kherson and see everything and get our own impression. With the cooperation we want to create a channel between our both cities’, says Mr Christopher Jarnvall, deputy Mayor of Norrköping.

’This is a long term cooperation, we focus on the time after the war but will also be able to find more urgent projects on a short term basis within this frame. First of all we want to give support of symbolic value to a city fighting for freedom’, says Mr Reidar Svedahl, deputy Mayor of Norrköping.

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The initiative aimed at establishing long-term municipal partnerships was launched by SALAR International and the city of Lviv (Ukraine) with the support of the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA).