Lutsk City Council representatives have participated in the Municipal Partnerships Conference in Leipzig
The delegation of Lutsk City Council, namely Secretary of Lutsk City Council Iurii Bezpiatko, Head of Legal Department Nataliia Yurchenko, Head of Project Activities Division of International Cooperation and Project Activities Department Yurii Hordiichuk, participated in the 6th German-Ukrainian Municipal Partnerships Conference, that was held during 13-15 November 2023 in Leipzig (Germany) with the slogan "Together for Europe: Solidarity, Reconstruction, Future Prospects".
The conference was organised by Service Agency Communities in One World (SKEW) in cooperation with the city of Leipzig, the Association of Ukrainian Cities, and the Association of German Cities. It aimed to strengthen the network of German-Ukrainian municipal partnerships, foster fresh opportunities for collaboration between Ukrainian and European communities during the war, while demonstrating the unified support of democratic forces for Ukrainian communities and regions.
The distinguished attendees at the event included Federal President of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier, under the auspices of who the network of German-Ukrainian municipal partnerships operates, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Svenja Schulze, and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Federal Republic of Germany Oleksii Makeiev. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy participated in the conference remotely. In his speech, he emphasized the invaluable humanitarian aid provided by several German cities and communities to support Ukrainians. The President specifically mentioned Schweinfurt, which, notably, is a partner of the city of Lutsk. The conference hosted diverse audience of over 600 attendees, comprising mayors from villages, towns and cities, alongside numerous local government officials, esteemed high-ranking authorities, and representatives from non-governmental organizations, representing both Ukraine and Germany.
During two days, the participants discussed various topics and developed new areas of partnership in relation to:
- water supply and sewerage management;
- enhancing energy efficiency;
- integrated urban development strategies;
- the role of municipal partnerships in protection and reconstruction;
-implementing gender-sensitive and gender-oriented approaches in the reconstruction of Ukraine;
- local democracy and citizen engagement;
- digital tools to support recovery and foster development initiatives.
At the conference, delegates from Lutsk City Council actively engaged in discussions focused on sharing exemplary collaboration practices among European cities and communities. They also talked with representatives from German Kreis Lippe (a partner of Lutsk) and the city of Würzburg, exploring prospects for ongoing cooperation and identifying opportunities for collaborative projects.
Legal Department jointly with International Cooperation and Project Activities Department