From social benefits to investment and development of small and medium-sized business. This is a brief idea of ​​how to ideally formulate a policy for the mountainous areas’ development. Recently, the Government approved a programme document introducing an integrated approach to solving existing problems in the development of mountainous areas – the Concept for the Development of the Mountainous Territories of the Ukrainian Carpathians. Active work on the Action Plan for the development of mountainous areas of the Ukrainian Carpathians is currently ongoing. MinRegion prepared the preliminary draft of the Plan. It includes proposals of local self-government and executive authorities of the Lviv, Chernivtsi, Ivano-Frankivsk and Zakarpattia Oblasts. The developers also relied on the monitoring of the socio-economic development of the mountainous settlements in 2018. To discuss and agree on the key positions of the draft Plan, the stakeholders gathered today in the Carpathians – the Vyhodska AH of the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast.

Hennadii Zubko, Vice Prime Minister – Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services, focused on the main directions of development of the Carpathian territories. The priorities include preservation and support of the historical and cultural heritage, traditional crafts of the local population, creation of conditions for the further development of rural and ecological tourism in the Carpathian region.

Development of transport and information infrastructure is at the forefront as well.

“Elaboration of the map of mountainous territories of the Ukrainian Carpathians should be prerequisite for infrastructure development. It should take into account the development of the economic complex, transport and engineering infrastructure, settlement systems, improvement of the environment and other aspects that are essential for creating favourable conditions for life, public healthcare, work and leisure,” said Hennadii Zubko.

Vyacheslav Nehoda, First Deputy Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services, noted that successful implementation of the tasks and activities for the development of mountainous areas depends, first of all, on the maximally coordinated actions of the authorities at all levels, development of public-private partnerships and effective use of existing financial instruments.

“The Concept provisions should be implemented into strategic and programm documents of regional development. Priority tasks for the development of mountainous areas should be clearly defined in each regional development strategy and in the plans for their implementation. And then – they should be gradually implemented. The programme document is scheduled by 2027. This time is enough to lay the foundation for the high-quality life of highlanders and further development of the mountainous territories,” Vyacheslav Nehoda emphasised.

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