23.05.2024

Ukrainian delegation returns from the Forum of Young German Mayors in Berlin

Photo: Delegation at the meeting with Member of the Bundestag Martin Gassner-Hertz, Free Democrats
Photo: Delegation at the meeting with Member of the Bundestag Martin Gassner-Hertz, Free Democrats

For the third time, the Ukrainian delegation from Cities4Cities | United4Ukraine has been warmly welcomed by the Association of Young Mayors in Berlin with the support of the Hanns Seidel Foundation in Ukraine.  This year, municipality leaders representing the whole of Ukraine met and found common ground: Boyarka, Shevchenkove, Pereshchepyne, Krasnosilka and Kopychyntsi.

 

 

“Despite all the challenges, Ukrainian municipalities are ready to make efforts to make Europe better, richer and safer”

- said Bohdan Kelichavyi, Mayor of Kopychyntsi, Ternopil Region, at the Forum of Young German Mayors. 
Photo: Forum of Young German Mayors - Berlin, May 15-16
Photo: Forum of Young German Mayors - Berlin, May 15-16

The program of the visit was full of meetings. In particular, we had dialogues with MPs representing three factions in the Bundestag: Martin Gassner-Hertz, Tilman Kuban, and Johannes Schraps. They emphasized the following:

  • the need to keep German society informed about the war;
  • the importance of supporting Ukraine and strengthening ties between the two countries;
  • the importance of explaining to citizens the significance of Ukraine’s victory for a free Europe;
  • highlighted the successful examples of cooperation between Ukrainian and German municipalities, such as the opening of the UNBROKEN rehabilitation center in Lviv with the participation of Freiburg, which helps to attract further German investment

 

Photo: Delegation at the meeting with Member of the Bundestag Martin Gassner-Hertz, Free Democrats
Photo: Delegation at the meeting with Member of the Bundestag Martin Gassner-Hertz, Free Democrats

Also at the meeting with representatives of the Bertelsmann Foundation, Dr. Kirsten Witte and Miriam Kosmehl, they discussed the role of communities in foreign policy. The Foundation is developing the Center for Sustainable Municipalities, which, in cooperation with the German Foreign Office, is researching the role and influence of German municipalities.

Photo: At a meeting with representatives of the Bertelsmann Foundation, Dr. Kirsten Witte and Miriam Kosmehl
Photo: At a meeting with representatives of the Bertelsmann Foundation, Dr. Kirsten Witte and Miriam Kosmehl

“This visit is symbolic for me. When I took a course on international cooperation for municipalities from Cities4Cities | United4Ukraine, I started cooperation with a Slovenian municipality. Now, after this forum, I have to find a partner in Germany. I am sure that everything will work out. Thank you for the support of the municipalities!”

- Yaroslav Tsvirkun, head of the Pereshchepyne municipality in Dnipropetrovsk region, shared his impressions.

The visit was fruitful, so we hope to announce new municipal partnerships and projects soon!

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Cities4Cities United4Ukraine are partnership initiatives that joined forces in September 2022. The project helps Ukrainian communities establish inter-municipal partnerships with municipalities in Europe. Cities4Cities was founded by the city of Sindelfinden (Germany) under the auspices of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe. United4Ukraine was launched by SALAR International and the city of Lviv (Ukraine) with the support of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).