The cities of Vinnytsia and Münster (Germany) officially became partners. The parties signed the agreement during the visit of the Vinnytsia City Council delegation headed by Deputy Mayor Halyna Yakubovych to Münster.

This is reported by the official website of the Münster municipality.

Halyna Yakubovych (left), Deputy Mayor of Vinnytsia, Markus Loewe, Mayor of Münster, and Jarosław Pakuła, Chairman of the Lublin City Council,
signed the documents on the partnership of three cities in the Hall of Peace

“This means that the last year’s practices of the cities are now legally enshrined,” the official source said.

A delegation from Münster’s sister city, Lublin (Poland), joined the visit at the same time.

Located near the Ukrainian border, Lublin has played a key role in the partnership. Immediately after the outset of the war in Ukraine, Münster sent financial aid for people who fled the war zones to Lublin, which consisted of donations and the city’s funds. Part of the supplies also went directly to Ukraine via Lublin. In order to be able to support the Ukrainian city quickly and flexibly, the Münster City Council decided in December 2022, on Lublin’s recommendation, to enter into a solidarity partnership with Vinnytsia.

The basis of the partnership will continue to be close cooperation in this tripartite alliance.

“Our officially established tripartite alliance of Ukrainian, Polish and German cities is a strong sign that Europe is united in these difficult times. The main goal of the partnership is still the provision of targeted assistance based on the needs of people affected by the war. However, in addition to providing assistance, Münster is also learning a lot from the Ukrainians when we see how impressively they cope with the current situation,” explained the Lord Mayor of Münster, Markus Loewe.

According to the signed agreements, the partner cities want to keep up the proven aid delivery system from Münster to Vinnytsia via Lublin. Over the past few months, Münster received mobile kitchens, non-perishable food, dishes and generators under the Programme of the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) to transport them to Vinnytsia. Delivery of medical equipment under the GIZ Programme is already planned for this year. However, the cooperation will not be limited to humanitarian aid. The exchange of best practices — for example in the energy or education sectors — is also a focus.

 As part of their partnership, the three cities also take into account that Vinnytsia will still depend on support after the end of the war. That is why the concluded agreements will be effective for five years after the end of the war. After that, all three cities will jointly determine the form and terms of further cooperation.