The experience and opportunities, obtained by Ukrainian regions and amalgamated hromadas in the course of decentralisation, allow them to establish equal relations with their international counterparts, said Vyacheslav Nehoda, First Deputy Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services, commenting on the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation within the framework of the “peer-to-peer” initiative of the EU Committee of the Regions-Ukraine Task Force on decentralisation with the support of the U-LEAD with Europe Programme. 

The Memorandum was signed by MinRegion, the Kharkiv and Khmelnytskyi Oblast Councils, Chemerovetska, Shyrokivska, Veselivska amalgamated hromadas and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
The mentioned regions and amalgamated hromadas are anticipated to exchange practical experience in implementing territories development projects in the course of trainings, study tours and internships with their European counterparts during 2018.

The European participants of the Initiative will be introduced on 8 March during the Partnership Building Day in Brussels.
“Ukrainian regions and amalgamated hromadas have something to share with the European partners and they also have something to learn. The main task of the “peer-to-peer” initiative  is to establish a friendly contact between the participants.  Due to the initiative we have the opportunity to present changes taking place in Ukraine in the course of decentralisation at the international level, interest the international community in implementing joint projects. Therefore, the main thing now is to successfully present your achievements, opportunities and plans in Europe,” appealed Vyacheslav Nehoda to the Ukrainian participants of the Initiative.

Reference

The “peer-to-peer” initiative was developed within the framework of the Committee of the Regions-Ukraine Task Force. It is aimed at developing partnership between local and regional authorities in the EU and Ukraine, as well as providing an exchange of experience that promotes local and regional development.
The European Committee of the Regions invited its members and their administrations (local and regional authorities of the EU) to express their readiness for cooperation with Ukrainian peers. Therefore, five equal partners from two regions of Ukraine and two regions of the EU were selected, as well as three municipalities – amalgamated hromadas from Ukraine and three municipalities from the EU member states.