During his working trip to the Cherkasy region, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy took part in the presentation of the Cherkasy region Development Strategy for 2021-2027.
Starting his speech, the Head of State noted that the Cherkasy region is the sixth region of Ukraine he has visited in the last two weeks.
"I was once again convinced of how beautiful our homeland is. How self-sufficient and colorful each region of Ukraine is, how different it is from others,” he said.
The President stressed that the Ukrainian land is rich in hard-working, honest, smart and talented people, and every Ukrainian can become the creator of the success of his region and the whole of Ukraine. That is why the participation of citizens in local elections is so important.
"We all need to understand - Ukraine starts with you. With your community, village, your city. Maybe you have no desire to go into politics. But at least you, as a responsible citizen of Ukraine, must understand who exactly you entrust the place where you, your parents, your children live to. You have to understand how to control the money spent by local authorities. You have to be an active participant in the life of your region. I am sure this is the key to a prosperous Ukraine," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
According to him, a state can be successful only when all its regions are successful. To this end, regional development strategies have been created so that each region understands its strengths, which can attract investors and bring profits.
"The Cherkasy region has a powerful agro-industrial complex, a great recreational potential. It has good prospects in the creative economy, in the IT sector. And, of course, it has a great future in the tourism industry. This applies to both domestic and foreign tourism," the President said.
The President expressed confidence that after the end of the coronavirus pandemic, the Cherkasy region and the whole of Ukraine will be happy to open their borders to all guests.
"It's not just about the beautiful city of Uman. The Cherkasy region is rich in unique places and really fantastic - I saw it yesterday and today - nature. This is exactly the land where you can feel and understand the true Ukrainian spirit," Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed.
In particular, the President mentioned the hetman's capital - the city of Chyhyryn in the Cherkasy region, where there was a fortress of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, Ivan Vyhovsky, Pavlo Teteria, Petro Doroshenko.
"This is the land of the knights of the Kholodny Yar. And, of course, the land where the real Ukrainian giant of word, thought, will and spirit was born and buried - Taras Hryhorovych Shevchenko. I sincerely wish harmony and prosperity to your wonderful land," the Head of State said.
Presenting the Development Strategy of the Cherkasy region, people's deputy Oleksandr Skichko noted that one of the advantages of the region is its geographical location, due to which it is a logistics center.
In addition, the Cherkasy region ranks fifth in Ukraine in terms of agricultural production.
"Therefore, one of the priority areas for investment is the agricultural sector. It is not only about growing raw materials, but also about the processing industry. Creating new jobs in agriculture is a priority,” he said.
An additional incentive for rural development should be agricultural cooperation.
The Cherkasy region also has tourist potential, but for its implementation it is necessary to solve the problem with infrastructure and build roads.
Oleksandr Skichko noted that in 2020, 234 km of roads will be repaired in the Cherkasy region thanks to the presidential program "Great Construction". In addition, it is planned to electrify the railway to Uman and Cherkasy, and restore the Cherkasy railway station. There is potential for the development of river and air transportation.
Improving the protection of water resources, setting up waste recycling, control over waste disposal are among the urgent needs of the region.
The strategy also envisages the development of the digital infrastructure of the Cherkasy region - the introduction of electronic tools of control over the government using online interaction resources. According to the people’s deputy, in the near future, the Office of Investment under the regional state administration will be opened in the Cherkasy region, where all investment projects will be accumulated.
The state will support the restoration of socially important facilities. In particular, the reconstruction of the drama theater, the construction of a single emergency medical center, the completion of the construction of the school of the Olympic reserve. There are also plans to create a center for the development of the creative economy of the Cherkasy region and develop an industrial park.
