MinRegion, Parliamentary Committee on European Integration, Ukrainian border regions and Euroregions should work out a common approach and propose a unifying platform to ensure effective coordination and interaction between the central and local authorities. The platform will identify initiatives and projects for implementation within the framework of Ukrainian and European financial instruments, said Vyacheslav Nehoda, First Deputy Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services, during the meeting on the discussion of proposals for the holding of the Assembly of Ukrainian Border Regions and Euroregions.

“MinRegion supports the creation of a common platform in the form of an Assembly, Forum, Conference or other forms of cooperation that would facilitate efforts coordination at the central, regional and local levels, as well as implementation of agreements in the field of cross-border cooperation. This issue is of particular importance and urgency right now, when the Association Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine has entered into a full-scale force. We must raise the level of regional policy and cross-border cooperation to a qualitatively new level, and this is one of the key areas of cooperation and political dialogue with the European Union,” noted Vyacheslav Nehoda.

According to the First Deputy Minister, it is necessary to systematise and actively lobby for the development of cross-border cooperation between Ukraine and our partners, and such activities may receive political support from the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, Committee of the Regions of the European Union, Assembly of European Regions, as well as Association of European Border Regions.

In the near future, MinRegion, together with the Verkhovna Rada Committee on European Integration, specialised associations and regional non-governmental organisations, plans to carry out inventory and analysis of all processes taking place in this direction, in particular, regarding the implementation of the Recommendations of the Parliamentary hearings on cross-border cooperation held on 21 September 2016, and formulate an updated plan of appropriate measures.

“As a result, we have to come up with a format of actions bringing together all stakeholders and facilitating the preparation of joint development projects with neighbouring countries that can be supported by Ukraine and the European Union,” said Vyacheslav Nehoda.