An Important Event at the Diplomatic Level: A Delegation from Vinnytsia Takes Part in the International Summit of Cities and Regions in Belgium

The 10th International Summit of Cities and Regions is currently taking place in the Belgian city of Mons. This is one of the most important events for communities around the world, as participation in international events of this level allows to expand the field of opportunities for finding potential partners and further cooperation. Dozens of mayors, local councilors and regional ministers, as well as CEOs of leading European companies, gathered to discuss the challenges of today. A delegation from Vinnytsia was among the 24 invited participants from Ukraine.

The summit discusses topics of concern to regions and cities, such as democracy, sustainable development, the future of the European Union and its enlargement, the need to ensure social, economic and territorial unity, and overcoming the consequences of russia's war against Ukraine.

Among other things, Vinnytsia Mayor Serhii Morhunov took part in a roundtable discussion for Ukrainian regions and cities in cooperation with the summit organizers. The discussion focused on the importance of local government cooperation with the public during the war and afterwards in the process of restoring and developing local communities. He also met with the President of the European Committee of Cities and Regions, Vasco Alves Cordeiro, as well as with partners from Nancy, Dijon, and colleagues from international organizations.

"First of all, this summit is important for every territorial community in Ukraine, especially during the war. Ukraine's decentralized approach to recovery after our Victory is precisely the mechanisms and recommendations that the Committee of Regions and Cities has developed to support this process. The discussions during the summit provided an understanding of the various processes and the depth of the challenges that lie ahead. The search for partnerships with different territorial communities in Europe is also equally important. For example, over the past two years, Vinnytsia has officially approved partnerships and twinning with four cities: Münster, Karlsruhe, Nancy, and Ventspils. And it has yielded concrete results, particularly in the context of expert assistance and the implementation of various programs in critical infrastructure, social support, healthcare, and education. Therefore, such platforms provide an opportunity for communication, determining strategic directions for the reconstruction and restoration of our country and each territorial community in particular," said Serhii Morhunov.

Also during the summit, the Ukrainian working group met with colleagues from the American Chamber of Commerce in the EU to discuss opportunities for cooperation with Vinnytsia businesses, among others.

"At the invitation of the Committee of Regions, we set up our own stand with information about Vinnytsia to make people know more about us and understand our capabilities, potential, and our interest in cooperation and dialogue. We are seeing a lot of activity around our representative office. We want to adopt the best practices and get more opportunities," said Serhii Morhunov. "We discussed with some associations and representative offices of European structures the possibilities of further cooperation in terms of sustainable development and participatory approach. This is a multifaceted work that needs to be systematically worked out. At the summit, we see many organizations and programs working in different directions, and it is important for us to find common ground in order to get a concrete practical result from the implementation of certain projects."

Yanna Chaikovska, director of the Urban Development Institute, adds that Vinnytsia continues to actively communicate with various politicians and representatives of international organizations to establish diplomatic ties for further cooperation and implementation of joint projects.

"First of all, this is a political event of the highest level, where representatives from all over Europe have gathered, as well as colleagues from the European Commission and the European Council. They are all here to declare and show the importance of communication within the European family. The Summit is important for every city and region in Europe, particularly in the context of decentralization. European cities make decisions on their own, give their residents a choice in many issues - this is what we are learning. Ukraine wants to receive more support from our European colleagues, and here again the issue of decentralization arises, so that assistance goes not only at the governmental level, but also at the level of cities that work directly with the community, set up and build processes for further recovery," she said.

Kostiantyn Rechko, a member of the city council of Druskininkai (Lithuania), who speaks Ukrainian well and visited our city a few years ago, says he is pleased to see Vinnytsia represented at the summit.

"It's important for Vinnytsia to be represented here, it's important for Vinnytsia to tell Europe about itself. On the example of cities like Vinnytsia, Europeans can see that Ukraine is not returning to Europe, Ukraine has always belonged to European cultural spaces," said Kostiantyn Rechko, a member of the city council of Druskininkai (Lithuania).