Münster strengthens Ukraine: 7th partnership conference started!

Münster strengthens Ukraine: 7th partnership conference started!

The city of Münster will be the venue for the 7th German-Ukrainian Municipal Partnership Conference today. In the spirit of humanitarian support and strengthening Ukrainian society, Federal Development Minister Reem Alabali Radovan emphasized the importance of these partnerships since the beginning of the Russian attack on Ukraine. The focus is particularly on the challenges faced by many Ukrainian municipalities, which not only have to contend with the destruction of their infrastructure, but also with a lack of financial resources and the urgent need for reconstruction, as GIZ emphasizes.

Oleksii Makeiev, Ukraine's ambassador to Germany, also emphasizes the vital human relationships that arise through these partnerships. There are now ten regional partnerships between Ukrainian oblasts and German federal states, which shows that community spirit and support are needed in times of crisis. Markus Lewe, Mayor of Münster, is convinced of the viability of municipal partnerships and their contribution to overcoming crises.

Highlights of the conference

As can be read on skew.engagement-global.de, the event begins today at 8 a.m. with registration. From 9:30 a.m. the greetings will be given, including Markus Lewe and Serhiy Morhunov, the mayor of Vinnytsia, a sister city of Münster. From 10 a.m. there will be an overview of the “Market of Opportunities” that highlights the various aspects of partnership work.

The central program items also include a panel discussion that deals with the municipal challenges in Ukraine after three years of war. Experts such as Oleksij Ryabykin, the Deputy Minister for Development of Municipalities and Territories of Ukraine, are connected online here.

Joint efforts for Ukraine

The conference is intended not only to promote exchange between municipalities, but also to offer practical approaches to support population protection and reconstruction in Ukraine. The Service Center for Municipalities in One World (SKEW) and the Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) are on board to put together necessary aid packages - from medical devices to equipment for schools.

According to media reports, the challenges posed by Russian disinformation will also be discussed, which further increases the importance of the conference. Federal Minister Reem Alabali Radovan will virtually discuss Ukraine's path to the EU with local representatives on the second day of the conference. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and President Volodymyr Selenskyj have also taken over the patronage of the partnership network, which underlines the importance and high level of attention of this initiative.

As part of the event, there is also a “drink after dinner” in the city of Münster, which promotes the networking aspect and personal connection between the participants. With a variety of speakers, including mayors and city representatives from several European countries, the exchange about successful ways to support Ukraine during the war will be exciting and promising.