The Ukrainian city of Shchyrets and the Polish city and gmina of Jelcz-Laskowice signed an “Act on establishment of partnership and friendly cooperation contacts” in 2010, and, as stated therein, activities are held regularly in all of the defined sectors, including: support for individual and mutual family visits of residents, children's, youth and adults’ visits, visits of sports and tourist groups; study of the history of cities, living conditions of their residents, economic and political activity, activities of local authorities, NGOs and societies; cultural and tourist exchange development; cooperation between schools and school organisations; establishment of contacts between entrepreneurs and their organisations, exchange of experience between employees of local authorities and local self-government.

“Since the agreement was signed, a lot has changed in Ukraine, after all, there is an administrative-territorial reform, and the settlement of Shchyrets in 2017 became the centre of theamalgamated hromada. During that time, we found even more reason to cooperate, to study the experience of our successful neighbours and share ours,” says Oleh Vasylyshyn, head of the Shchyretska AH, to the Lviv LGDC advisers.

 

Oleh Vasylyshyn, head of the Shchyretska AH

This is not the only current international agreement of the Shchyretska AH. Another partner is the German city of Gudensberg. The aim of the cooperation is to support the Ukrainian people and accompany Ukrainians on their way to the European community values ​.

Given that the social and economic development of the friendly country is rather high, the city of Gudensberg has the opportunity to help Ukrainian partners. Thus, in 2014-2015, Gudensberg counterpart handed over 50 tons of furniture and equipment to social institutions in Shchyrets. Subsequently, in 2016, they provided medical equipment and medications for the treatment of ATO soldiers at the military hospital in Lviv.

On the occasion of the Independence Day of Ukraine, in August 2015, Shchyrets was presented with the first fire truck. And already in the autumn of 2017, German colleagues handed over two fire trucks for the Shchyrets voluntary fire brigade. In the summer of 2018, fire and medical equipment were transferred, and in autumn joint trainings with the use of the received fire equipment were organised.

 

 

In January 2019, the partners completed a joint project on “Topographical measurements of the territory of the Shchyretska AH” for a sum of EUR 10,000.

The further task of the Shchyretska hromada is the joint project “Abwasser-Projekt Nakopa” on sewage system. The project cost amounts to about UAH 8 million, of which 10% will be co-financed by the Shchyretska hromada.

The project will be implemented within two years and involves the construction of a sewage pipeline of 2.1 km.

 

Since amalgamation, the Shchyretska hromada has been cooperating with the Lviv LGDC, established with the support of the U-LEAD with Europe Programme and MinRegion. LGDC advisors provided consultations on legal issues and creation of a socio-economic and cultural development programme.

The full version is available in Ukrainian – please click HERE