“The future parliament is doomed, if it does not continue decentralisation! If the reform is not among the priorities in the future coalition agreement! MinRegion will certainly not stop to implement the reform!” said Hennadii Zubko, Vice Prime Minister – Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine at the joint meeting with Georg Milbradt, Special Envoy of the German Government, directors of the Local Government Development Centres, deputy heads of Oblast State Administrations, and international partners from U-LEAD with Europe.

"We are the only decentralisation team that has substantially advanced in reform implementation and has good results. And there are still many tasks ahead. Political reloading should in no way affect this work. The main thing now is to maximise the work on supporting the AH formation, develop and approve perspective plans for the formation of hroamdas’ territories covering 100% of oblasts’ territory, prepare and implement our priority projects – in education, healthcare, administrative and social services, as well as in the infrastructure direction,” noted Hennadii Zubko.

He recalled that 903 AHs had already been formed. The perspective plans approved by the Government envisage 1311 AHs. The first elections will be held in 66 AHs on 30 June. The process of accession to cities of oblast significance is underway –26 cities have already adjoined hromadas, and other 7 are currently in the mid of adjoining process.

Concerning the results of sectoral decentralisation: there are 500 New Educational Spaces attended by 200,000 children (MinRegion and U-LEAD with Europe have jointly developed manuals for hromadas NES creation – with regard to inclusion, motivational space, energy efficiency and advanced equipment). 250 modern ASCs – new or modernised have been established. 517 modern rural outpatient clinics are being built, telemedicine has been introduced in 5 oblasts. The social infrastructure has been renovated by 20% (12,000 projects supported by the SFRD).

In turn, Georg Milbradt noted that decentralisation is a successful Ukrainian rather than European reform.

"I cannot imagine who of sound mind would like to come back to the Soviet centralised system. The reform has changed the country a lot. And without decentralisation, further modernisation of the country is not possible. In order for the reform to really become irreversible, necessary laws should be adopted,|” emphasised Mr Milbradt.

At the end of the meeting Hennadii Zubko thanked the international partners for their continued support of the reform.