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16.05.2025
Zhytomyr and Kassel have become partner cities: agreement signed in Brussels
Today, May 15, during the events of the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, Zhytomyr (Ukraine) and Kassel (Germany) signed a Partnership Agreement. This event took place at the EU Committee of the Regions, where the cities discussed plans for cooperation.
The partnership between Zhytomyr and Kassel was made possible thanks to the synergy of the Cities4Cities initiative, which supports European cities in finding partners in Ukraine and Ukrainian cities in Europe, and the SKEW Engagement Global network, which provides access to resources and professional support for the development of partnerships between the two countries.
“The specific idea of establishing a partnership between Kassel and a Ukrainian city came to me personally after the joint appeal by President Zelensky and Federal President Steinmeier in 2022, which called for the establishment of partnerships between German and Ukrainian cities. Kassel has decided to become another example of European solidarity by supporting Ukraine’s course towards European integration,” said Dr. Sven Schoeller, Mayor of Kassel.
The cities have already discussed the following concrete steps for developing the partnership:
- A delegation from Kassel has been invited to visit Zhytomyr in August 2025
- Implementation of further projects with the support of the German SKEW program
- Involvement of further institutions in the cooperation
Halyna Shymanska, Deputy Mayor of Zhytomyr, emphasized: “A true partnership is not just about an agreement. That is why today we agreed to introduce the children of our schools, entrepreneurs, and representatives of public organizations to each other. We will look for opportunities to participate together in European programs. After all, we understand that this experience is important for Zhytomyr on its path to European integration. We are also ready to share our city’s experience in the field of sustainability.”
Kassel expressed interest in cooperation with Zhytomyr from the very beginning. “We helped the cities get to know each other and suggested Zhytomyr for cooperation because of the similarity of the cities’ profiles—both have a rich cultural heritage and an active community,” said Kateryna Batishcheva, coordinator of the Cities4Cities initiative in Sindelfingen.
“The partnership between Zhytomyr and Kassel is not just about solidarity. It is about a genuine, full-fledged partnership. The communities have already agreed to exchange experiences: Zhytomyr is one of Ukraine’s leaders in energy efficiency, while Kassel is working on this issue. Kassel also plans to study Zhytomyr’s experience in sustainability and blackout preparedness. The cities have agreed to build contacts between community organizations, businesses, and schools. In return, Zhytomyr values the experience gained on the path to European integration,” emphasized Svitlana Blinova, Cities4Cities coordinator.
As a reminder, the Cities4Cities network includes over 600 Ukrainian communities and municipalities from seven EU countries.
Photo: European Committee of the Regions
Cities4Cities | United4Ukraine are partner initiatives that joined forces in September 2022. Cities4Cities was founded by the city of Sindelfingen (Germany) under the patronage of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe. United4Ukraine was initiated by SALAR International and the city of Lviv, with support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). Since 2024, Cities4Cities | United4Ukraine has been part of Sweden’s flagship programme for Ukraine Polaris “Supporting Multilevel Governance in Ukraine”.