An expanded meeting of the Presidium of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under the President of Ukraine was held in Kyiv, chaired by the Head of the Office of the President, Andriy Yermak.
More than 330 participants, joining via video conference, elected Liliia Pashynna as the new Head of the Office of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities. She is also the Head of the Ukrainian delegation to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe.
Some members of the Presidium of the Congress, namely: Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak, his Deputy and Executive Secretary of the Presidium of the Congress Viktor Mykyta, Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction – Minister of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine and Chair of the Infrastructure Policy Commission Oleksii Kuleba – took part in the meeting from the newly renovated premises of the Congress Office.
“The Office of the Congress should serve as a meeting place for heads of communities and a platform for working through local challenges. It should enable direct and effective communication among Congress members. A place for resolving complex issues that require the engagement of the central government,” Andriy Yermak said.
He thanked the former Head of the Congress Office, Viacheslav Nehoda, for his work and outlined the directions for the Congress’s future activities. One of the key priorities is the development of regional and local economies.
“This should become one of our long-term priorities. More investment, more added value, more jobs, and, consequently, more tax revenues and stronger defense capabilities for our state,” the Head of the Presidential Office emphasized.
The Congress is also expected to ensure the effective use of state budget funds to provide people with quality educational, medical, social, and rehabilitation services, as well as support for veterans and businesses. At the same time, Andriy Yermak called for greater engagement of international assistance and active implementation of the “Shoulder to Shoulder: United Communities” project aimed at supporting Ukrainian defenders.
The Head of the Presidential Office expressed his particular gratitude to the members of the Congress and to the communities for their support and active efforts in promoting Ukraine’s vision for achieving a just and sustainable peace.
The meeting was also attended by Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, who provided updates on legislative support for state regional policy, as well as government projects and programs to be implemented this year in communities and regions.