The focus: German and Ukrainian partners are fighting together!

The focus: German and Ukrainian partners are fighting together!

Münster, Deutschland - In Münster today is the 7th German-Ukrainian municipal partnership conference at the agenda, an important meeting to strengthen the connection between German and Ukrainian municipalities. Federal Minister of Development Reem Alabali Radovan emphasizes that the number of partnerships has grown steadily in February 2022 since the beginning of the Russian attack on Ukraine. These cooperation aims to support Ukrainian society in difficult times and to provide practical help. The Ambassador of Ukraine in Germany, Oleksii Makeieev, emphasizes the importance of human relationships in the current crisis situation and praises support from local partnerships.

The conference brings together a large number of participants: Mayor, city and district councilors from Germany, Ukraine as well as from Poland and other European countries. Markus Lewe, Mayor of Münster, underlines the load -bearing capacity of these partnerships and their relevance in times of crisis. In fact, there are now ten regional partnerships between Ukrainian Oblasts and German federal states that can serve as role models for cooperation. For example, the partnership between Münster and Winnyzja, which includes aid deliveries and clinic cooperations, which shows how concrete help can look like. "How can we support Ukraine in the war?" Is the central question that focuses on this important exchange.
Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development reports that Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and President Wolodymyr Selenskyj have also taken over the scasherd and thus the importance of this initiative underline.

The daily routine in Münster

The event began was scheduled for 8:00 a.m. The participants were able to register until 9:00 a.m. before the official greeting by Markus Lewe and other prominent mayors took place at 9:30 a.m. A “market of possibilities” provided insights into partnership work and highlighted the challenges with which the municipalities are faced with after three years of war.

• 10:00 p.m.: Overview of the market of possibilities.
• 10:15 a.m.: Panel discussion with experts from Ukraine.
• 11:45 a.m.: work formats for municipal energy solutions and population protection.
• 2:45 p.m.: Online keynote by Olexandra Matwijtschuk.
• 3:15 p.m.: Discussion on the path of Ukraine to the EU.

Overall, the program sees both opportunities and challenges for the Ukrainian municipalities that have reached their stress limits due to the continuing conflict. The support for the restoration of the basic infrastructure and to ensure municipal services is therefore more urgent than ever. The humanitarian situation has further exacerbated by the war, which makes the numerous initiatives for partnership formation even more important. Through the close cooperation between German and Ukrainian cities, which are promoted by organizations such as the service center in one world (SKEW) and the Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), this challenge should be managed.

GIZ emphasized the need for auxiliary packages for population protection and the reconstruction, in particular to help vulnerable groups such as children and war -honored people. The reliable logistical support and the provision of information for Ukrainian cities are also essential components of this initiative. Initiatives like this are a living example of how international solidarity can be implemented in concrete terms.