Ivano-Frankivsk is among the speakers at the German-Ukrainian Conference on Municipal Partnerships in Berlin

On October 7–9, the eighth German-Ukrainian Conference on municipal partnerships, “Making Europe Stronger Together: At the Local Level, Side by Side, in Partnership,” took place in Berlin. The Ivano-Frankivsk community was represented by Ihor Popadiuk, Director of the Department of Investment Policy, Projects, International Relations, Tourism, and City Promotions of the Ivano-Frankivsk City Council, and Oleg Sachkov, Deputy Director of the Department. Ihor Popadiuk was one of the conference speakers.

The event was organized by the “Cities in a United World” (SKEW) Service of Engagement Global on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, in cooperation with Berlin. The conference was opened by Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Rim Alabali Radovan and Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs Johann Wadeful. Vitaliy Bezgin, Ukraine’s Minister for Communities, Territories, and IDPs, addressed the participants online.

On October 8, Ihor Popadiuk spoke at a moderated discussion titled “International Partnerships as a Driving Force for Shared European Growth.” Dr. Katharina Haberkorn (European Office of the District of Swabia), Dr. Oleksandra Keidel (Center for Democratic Resilience, Kyiv School of Economics), and Alexander Wagner (SKEW) joined in the discussion. Ihor Popadiuk explained how Ivano-Frankivsk is developing 28 intermunicipal partnerships and leveraging EU programs for joint projects. He emphasized that even in times of war, Ukrainian communities are demonstrating that they have long been part of the European democratic space.

During the conference, participants discussed ongoing projects under the Engagement Global and GIZ programs, charitable assistance from partner cities, opportunities for attracting investment, security, and Ukraine’s European integration. Thematic forums focused on civil protection, energy independence, affordable housing, mobility, digitalization, healthcare, management of municipal enterprises, and countering disinformation.

The Department thanks our partners from Potsdam, Erfurt, and Mülheim for their cooperation.