Representatives of the Haivoron city municipality, Kirovohrad region, paid a study visit to the city of Brusy (Republic of Poland) on August 27-29, 2024. The visit was organized by the Association of Ukrainian Cities.

The delegation of the Association of Ukrainian Cities included:

Roman Voluiko, Haivoron City Mayor,

Oleksandr Shtunder, Deputy Mayor for Executive Bodies of the Haivoron City Council,

Liudmyla Damentsova, Director of the Project "Promoting comprehensive development of municipalities through analytics, dialogue and international cooperation".

During the talks with representatives of the Polish municipality, Roman Voluiko spoke about the current state and development prospects of the municipality he leads, as well as his experience of working with international donor organizations and charitable foundations. He focused in detail on potential areas of cooperation that will contribute to the development and strengthening of both municipalities.

"Polish partners demonstrated examples of cooperation with financial institutions of the European Union. Now we plan to jointly develop and seek resources for implementing mutual projects that will contribute to the development of both municipalities. At this point, we have prepared and discussed specific ideas, cooperation plans. We are working on drafting proposals and considering the potential possibility of submitting them for funding through grants.

In addition, during the study visit, we gained a better understanding of the Polish system of local self-government and the algorithms of interaction with the executive authorities.

On behalf of the entire Haivoron municipality, I would like to thank Polish people for their support and shelter they have provided to Ukrainians, as well as for the opportunity to have direct dialogue between the heads of the municipalities of both countries within the project," said Roman Voluiko.

Oleksandr Shtunder emphasized the value of the information received from the Polish colleagues about project proposal writing, attracting European investments, and implementation of projects by municipalities, including initiatives related to the installation of renewable energy sources in housing and communal facilities, which is currently relevant for our country.

"The exchange of experience regarding the peculiarities of the work of Brusy communal economy, the water supply and sewerage systems, the implementation of environmentally friendly approaches to waste management, as well as the operation of educational institutions and cultural centers was extremely insightful."

Witold Ossowski, Brusy City Mayor, spoke about the peculiarities of the municipality. He noted that the basis of the municipality's economy is agriculture, which includes approximately 1400 family farms. The city also has a developed processing industry. Here, family-run businesses are predominant. The products of local manufacturers are well-known and in demand not only in Poland. The tourism sector is also actively developing.

Krzysztof Gierszewski, Deputy Mayor of the City of Brusy, together with his colleagues, provided a detailed overview of the preparation and implementation of projects submitted for funding through grants. He outlined the opportunities for collaborative work on similar projects in Ukraine.

Based on the results of the meeting, a joint action plan was developed:

• further cooperation and study of best practices in the implementation of projects in the field of municipal economy and local self-government;
• planning joint work in the communal sector, particularly in water supply and sewerage systems, and solid waste management;
• equipping communal institutions and facilities with alternative energy sources;
• developing cooperation in the fields of culture, youth, and sports;
• strengthening of the partnership between Ukrainian and Polish municipalities based on interaction and shared experience.

The exchange of experience between Ukrainian and Polish municipalities, as well as the development of partnership relations, is systematic: 

On July 17, 2024, a bilateral online meeting took place between representatives of the Haivoron city municipality, Kirovohrad region, and the municipality of Brusy (Republic of Poland), during which the parties agreed to establish an international intermunicipal partnership and cooperation for the reconstruction and development of Ukrainian municipalities, as well as study visits to partner municipalities.

The visit was organized by the Association of Ukrainian Cities within the framework of the "Promoting comprehensive development of municipalities through analytics, dialogue and international cooperation" Project, which is implemented with the support of the Programme "ULEAD with Europe".

To read the Ukrainian version of the article, please click the link.