"I Congratulate All Vinnytsia Residents on the Appearance of a New Friend!" Vinnytsia Deputies Vote in Favor of Sister City Relations between Vinnytsia and Karlsruhe

On May 19, at an extraordinary session of Vinnytsia City Council, a counter-ceremony was held to sign a twinning agreement between Vinnytsia and Karlsruhe. After the agreement was supported by the German city's municipality on April 22, Vinnytsia deputies voted for it that day. It is symbolic that both times the agreements were voted unanimously.

"I congratulate all Vinnytsia residents on the arrival of a new friend," said Vinnytsia Mayor Serhii Morhunov after the vote. "Today we meet as old friends, and we want our guests to feel all our hospitality. Karlsruhe and Vinnytsia are two modern European cities that are opening a common page in their history. We will make every effort to make our partnership successful and contribute to the development of both communities."

As the Mayor noted, the delegation from Germany, led by Karlsruhe Mayor Frank Mentrup, arrived in our city despite the war and all the risks associated with it. This demonstrates the courage and determination of our partners in establishing friendly relations between communities.

As the Mayor of Karlsruhe, Frank Mentrup, noted, Vinnytsia and Karlsruhe have a lot in common.

"In the morning, our delegation has already had a chance to feel the atmosphere of Vinnytsia, we have seen that our cities have a lot in common, so I would like to invite Vinnytsia residents to get acquainted with our city and its history, and I would like to invite Karlsruhe residents to Vinnytsia," said Frank Mentrup.

In turn, the head of Vinnytsia expressed hope that the residents of both communities could indeed establish contact, similar to that which exists today with other sister cities, in particular with the Polish city of Kielce, with which friendly ties have been established since 1956.

According to the agreement, cooperation between the two cities should be diverse, in particular, focusing on information technology, alternative energy sources, urbanism and urban mobility, culture, science and education. In April, a memorandum was signed in Karlsruhe between Germany's oldest technical higher education institution, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, and Vinnytsia National Technical University.

In addition, as promised by Frank Mentrup, Karlsruhe will support both Ukraine and its partner Vinnytsia in their further European integration.

City council member and head of Vinnytsia Regional Military Administration Serhii Borzov, in turn, thanked the German government for its assistance and the delegation from Karlsruhe for not being afraid to visit the city at such a time.

"I am convinced that the signing of this agreement will give impetus to further integration," said Serhii Borzov.

And as Viacheslav Sokolovyi, Chairman of Vinnytsia Regional Council, noted, it is very valuable that in such a difficult time we have not just foreign partners, but friends and brothers-in-arms.

"We profess common values, and the Ukrainian army is fighting for these values, including a democratic and free Europe. I would like to thank the partner countries for their help, for training our soldiers, for sheltering women and children, for helping us in a difficult period on the verge of blackout with generators and other things... The main thing now is to defeat the enemy, and it is very important that we are not alone in this," says Viacheslav Sokolovyi.

At the end of the meeting, the leaders of the twin cities redeemed the stamp "Cities of peace and balance. Karlsruhe-Vinnytsia".

The special stamp features a unique design that combines symbols of both cities: the Karlsruhe Palace, whose architectural image is complemented by the Tower, and the symbol of our city, the Artynov Tower.

The stamp will become not only a valuable collector's item for all philatelic enthusiasts, but also a symbol of the beginning of new partnerships. It will remind us of the importance of friendship, cooperation and European values.

At the end of the official part, the parties exchanged gifts, in particular, Frank Mentrup presented his Vinnytsia counterpart with a painting depicting the city castle.

The Mayor of Vinnytsia handed over books to the Ukrainian Cultural Center in Karlsruhe, presented letters of appreciation to representatives of the Karlsruhe municipality, and parts from a russian tank that was destroyed by a unit in which many Vinnytsia residents serve.

Reference.

On April 22, a twinning agreement was signed between representatives of the municipalities of Vinnytsia and Karlsruhe. The signing of the twinning agreement took place in Karlsruhe, where a delegation from Vinnytsia City Council headed by Mayor Serhii Morhunov arrived. The meeting was also attended by Consul General of Ukraine in Munich Yurii Yarmilko.

Communication between Vinnytsia and Karlsruhe began in the spring of 2022 on the initiative of the German side to establish sister city relations with Vinnytsia City Territorial Community.

In the summer, the Municipality of Karlsruhe approved the intention to establish friendly contacts. On September 30, 2022, during a session meeting, Vinnytsia City Council members decided to develop international cooperation with Karlsruhe.

Later, Karlsruhe delivered a humanitarian cargo to Vinnytsia - special equipment and a tent for the invincibility points, which were equipped with various devices.

Karlsruhe is a city in Germany, located in Baden-Württemberg, in the southwest of the country. The city's population is about 300 thousand people. The city has a rich history and cultural heritage, and is famous for its developed transport and electrical engineering, oil refining, metalworking, chemical, printing, and food industries. Karlsruhe is also Germany's second largest river port and has the country's largest oil refinery. The city has many architectural landmarks and a well-developed tourism industry.

The city is also an important scientific center, as it is home to the University of Karlsruhe and the Leopoldshafen Nuclear Research Center. The university is the oldest technical institution of higher education in Germany and is known for its high achievements in mechanical, computer and electrical engineering.

Cultural and artistic institutions such as the State Academy of Fine Arts, the Baden State Museum, the State Art Gallery and the Zentrum für Kunst und Medientechnologie (ZKM) multimedia art museum are also located in Karlsruhe. In addition, the first International Congress of Chemists was held in Karlsruhe in 1860, where clear formulations of the atom and molecule were first defined.