The event took place as part of the Bridges of Trust initiative that helps Ukrainian municipalities develop cooperation with municipalities from Slovenia, Poland, Estonia and other countries.
Jean-Cristof Angelini, Mayor of Porto-Vecchio, greeted the participants of the event and briefly introduced his city, emphasising his interest in cooperation. Mykhailo Stanynets, Village Head of Kamyanske, introduced his French colleagues to the history of the municipality and told about its tourist potential that can be developed by implementing joint projects.
According to Mykola Siusko, Head of the Regional Office of U-LEAD with Europe in the Zakarpattia region, the potential areas of cooperation between the municipalities were discussed during the meeting.
Both parties identified a common task of working on project development and attracting grants. The focus was on the implementation of tourism, culture and agriculture projects. The cooperation on the creation of an industrial park and an efficient municipal enterprise in the Kamyanske municipality was also discussed.
Working groups will be created in the near future to start implementing the proposals.
"International cooperation of municipalities is an essential tool for municipal development, and it has become even more relevant since Ukraine received the EU candidate country status. I believe that the partnership between Porto-Vecchio and Kamyanske will be useful for both municipalities that have a lot in common, having declared the main areas of cooperation at the beginning of our partnership. The U-LEAD with Europe will continue to help develop and promote new partnerships between municipalities,” said Mykola Siusko.
Thanks to U-LEAD with Europe, municipalities of the Zakarpattia region have been developing cooperation with international partners since last year. As part of the Bridges of Trust initiative, three Zakarpattia municipalities — Yasinya, Svaliava and Horinchovo — are establishing cooperation with the Danish municipality of Gulborgsunn. The municipalities have already had a series of meetings with their colleagues and have developed promo videos to increase their investment attractiveness.