Oleksii Riabykin, Deputy Minister for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine, took part in the Forum ‘Capitalisation and the Way Forward: Decentralisation and Local Governance at the Centre of Ukraine's Reconstruction’, held in Lviv.

The Forum, organised by the European Association for Local Democracy (ALDA) and the Central European Initiative, was dedicated to the results of the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025, which took place in Rome, and the preparation of the next steps for URC 2026, strengthening international cooperation between communities and municipalities. The event was attended by Antonella Valmorbida, Secretary General of ALDA, Yurii Mushka, Deputy Secretary General of the Central European Initiative, representatives of the European Committee of the Regions’ Working Group on Ukraine, representatives of Ukrainian communities and European municipalities, all-Ukrainian associations of local governments, as well as partners from CEMR and U-LEAD.

In his speech, Oleksii Riabykin thanked Ukraine’s international partners for their consistent support and emphasised that a record number of communities – around 200 – took part in the Recovery Conference held in Rome.

‘Communities presented their results for the year. As a result, a number of partnership agreements were signed, as well as agreements for further funding from European companies, regions, and organisations totalling almost USD 200 million. Currently, Ukraine is actively implementing reforms to the public investment management system. For communities to implement projects and attract funds from international partners, they must have medium-term public investment plans consistent with regional and national development strategies,’ said Oleksii Riabykin.

The Deputy Minister also noted that strong, cohesive communities are the foundation of a sustainable state. In this context, the ‘Shoulder-to-Shoulder: Cohesive Communities’ national project has become a platform that unites communities across the country, providing support for recovery, socio-cultural initiatives, and humanitarian needs.

‘I invite municipalities from across Europe to join our national project, which aims to promote cooperation and the exchange of experiences, as well as to strengthen the unity of Ukrainian communities. ‘Shoulder to Shoulder’ is our shared mission, because it is through unity that a state finds its true strength. Over the course of the year, 1,100 communities have joined the project, representing over 75 per cent of all Ukrainian communities. The total amount of support provided is UAH 260 million. Another 94 communities from temporarily occupied territories are preparing to sign pilot memoranda of cooperation that take into account the needs of internally displaced persons and relocated businesses. Behind these figures are real people who keep their communities going every day, working and rebuilding despite the danger. This proves once again that only together can we make our country truly strong and resilient,’ emphasised Oleksii Riabykin.