The participants of the meeting discussed areas of potential cooperation and determined the steps to be taken in the near future to establish a partnership.
Giovanni Battista Meli, Mayor of Collesano, expressed support for the Ukrainian people and municipalities.
“We have been actively helping Ukraine since the first days of the war. In Collesano, we managed to shelter several Ukrainian families. We furnished premises for them and provided everything necessary for a comfortable stay. In the future, we are ready to continue helping Ukrainians and develop partnerships with local municipalities. We can implement joint initiatives in various directions and help each other develop,” said the mayor of the Italian municipality.
The comune of Collesano is open to cooperation in tourism and agriculture and development of national natural parks in the Italian and Ukrainian municipalities.
The Italian municipality has extensive experience in attracting funds from large international funds and local organisations. Proposals were made to hold a joint forum for small and medium-sized businesses, as their development is a priority in both municipalities. According to Collesano officials, entrepreneurs will be able to hold joint exhibitions, conduct marketing campaigns and develop cooperation.
“Similarly to Collesano, the municipality of Kuty has great tourist potential, which we will definitely develop in peacetime. During the war, we have focused on helping internally displaced persons and creating shelters for them. In the future, we will be in great need of the support of international partners in implementing projects and attracting additional resources. We have high hopes that we will be able to establish cooperation with the municipality of Collesano, as we have a lot in common,” said Dmytro Pavliuk, head of the Kuty municipality.
The head of the Kuty municipality proposed another direction for cooperation, namely exchanging experiences in the manufacture of handmade ceramics. According to him, Kuty pottery was a traditional folk craft in Kuty and its neighbouring towns and villages. Now the municipality has been reviving this craft. There is a special educational institution where anyone can learn pottery. A similar direction is developed in Collesano, so the municipalities agreed that it would be exciting and beneficial for local craftsmen to exchange the best practices and manufacturing methods.
Soon, the representatives of the municipalities of Kuty and Collesano will hold an additional meeting to discuss areas for further cooperation in more detail.
The meeting was part of the Bridges of Trust Initiative launched by the U-LEAD with Europe Programme to help Ukrainian municipalities in finding international partners.
Earlier, the Romny municipality of the Sumy region started a partnership with the Italian comune of Monreale.