Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Oleksiy Kuleba met with members of the EU Delegation to Ukraine, in particular with EU Ambassador Katarína Mathernová.
The participants focused on discussing the further decentralization reform and the role of the European Union in supporting and developing Ukrainian communities. The interlocutors also outlined joint plans in this area.
Oleksiy Kuleba thanked the Ambassador for her personal participation in the year-end meeting of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities chaired by the President of Ukraine, which took place in Lviv last December.
The members of the EU Delegation actively participated in the Congress events throughout 2023. In particular, they facilitated the provision of substantial financial support from international organizations that became partners of the Congress.
"We welcome the 'horizontal' interaction of European municipalities with our cities to overcome the consequences of Russian aggression. Relying on existing and new partnerships, I count on your help in expanding the patronage of EU member states over certain regions of Ukraine that have suffered the most," the Deputy Head of the Presidential Office said.
Oleksiy Kuleba emphasized the importance of the EU Delegation's coordination role in the regions in the issues of reconstruction, humanitarian response, development programs and nationwide initiatives of the President of Ukraine, in particular in the activities of the Regional Offices for International Cooperation, the "Side by Side" initiative, school sports leagues and working with internally displaced persons.
Katarína Mathernová emphasized the important role that Ukrainian municipalities played at the beginning of the full-scale Russian aggression and their resilience. She emphasized the importance of local governance for two strategic processes: EU enlargement and recovery.
The Ambassador also emphasized that the continuation of decentralization reform will remain crucial as an element of good governance on the path to European Union accession. Likewise, the local level will contribute to an effective and inclusive recovery process.
"The EU will soon establish the Ukraine Facility, which will be based on this exact approach. This will mean capitalizing the decentralization reform and the potential of local authorities," added Katarína Mathernová.
Oleksiy Kuleba also congratulated the Delegation of the European Union on the 30th anniversary of its diplomatic mission to Ukraine and praised the joint work that resulted in the recommendations of the European Commission and later the decision of the European Council to open negotiations on Ukraine's membership in the EU.
"This is a historic step. We commend the European Commission's readiness to start preparing the negotiation framework and the screening process – an analytical review of Ukrainian legislation," summarized the Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.