On 26 July an important event in the cooperation between Latvian and Ukrainian municipalities has taken place: the Memorandum of Cooperation between Gulbene municipality (Latvia) and Korop municipality (Ukraine) was signed. The event was attended by the representatives of both municipalities, the Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of Latvia Mr Anatolii Kutsevol and Secretary General of the Latvian Association of Local and Regional Governments (LALRG) Ms Mudīte Juhna.
The Secretary General of LALRG has addressed the audience by praising the cooperation between the two municipalities, adding, that the LALRG has been present in the development of this cooperation from the very beginning within the framework of the international initiative "Bridges of Trust", now resulting in the conclusion of the Memorandum.
"The areas of cooperation already chosen by the two municipalities, starting from energy efficiency and ending with cooperation in the field of culture, are crucial in the progress of Ukraine, including Korop municipality, towards the integration into the European Union. Cooperation is a prerequisite for successful activities and positive benefits for municipalities and their inhabitants. The cooperation and sincere desire to support all of us - the participating municipalities, the Latvian Association of Local and Regional Governments, the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Latvia, the "Bridges of Trust" team - by sharing information and examples of good practice, has created solid foundation for this cooperation," said LALRG’s secretary general M. Juhna.
The conclusion of the Memorandum will greatly contribute to the strengthening of friendly relations between the two municipalities and the expansion of cooperation in the fields of economy, culture and tourism, as well as enhancing the cooperation between Ukraine and Latvia. The purpose of the Memorandum is to continue the development of cooperation in the social sphere and energy efficiency, which is especially important in war conditions, culture, sports, education, business, economy and provision of local government services.
As mentioned earlier, the cooperation between the two municipalities has begun a little more than a year ago as part of the international initiative "Bridges of Trust". The aim of the initiative is to promote the cooperation of Latvian and Ukrainian municipalities, the exchange with best practice examples and participate in joint projects thuspromoting the reconstruction of Ukrainian municipalities in various ways. The international initiative "Bridges of Trust" is implemented with the support of the "U-LEAD with Europe" (U-LEAD) program. Among its partners there is the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), the Association of Ukrainian Cities (AUC) and the Latvian Association of Local and Regional Governments.