The Republic of Poland is consistent in supporting qualitative reforms in Ukraine, in particular – implementation of the key reform – the reform of local self-government and territorial organisation of power. Today, Bartosz Cichocki, newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Poland to Ukraine, met with Vyacheslav Nehoda, First Deputy Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine.

The parties discussed the issues of further cooperation in the areas of reforming local self-government, implementation of the Concept for the development of mountainous territories of the Ukrainian Carpathians. Particular attention was paid to the implementation of the project "Improving the competitiveness of the Ukrainian regions and development of the Ukrainian-Polish economic cooperation". The project's mission is to support Ukraine in the process of building a self-governing and democratic state. The parties also highlighted the implementation of the Declaration of Intent regarding the establishment of a new macro-regional strategy for the development of the Carpathian region of Ukraine, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia. The document was signed last autumn.

Details of the working meeting:

- synchronous development of the border infrastructure of Poland and Ukraine, in particular the development of the Concept of spatial development of territories located along the state border, and hence – the corresponding planning documentation;

- comprehensive development of the Carpathian region, which can become a model for supporting the development of certain territories;

- promotion of the regional development policy implementation and stimulation of economic cooperation between the Republic of Poland and Ukraine in the context of fulfillment of the tasks of the State Strategy for Regional Development for the period up to 2020 and the Strategy for the Development of Small and Medium Enterprises in Ukraine until 2020.

It is expected that such steps will promote the development of business, tourism, culture, and attract investment resources.

Vyacheslav Nehoda thanked for the consistent support of Ukrainian reforms by the Republic of Poland and expressed his hope that the Parties will be able to present preliminary results of such cooperation until the next 16th meeting of the Ukrainian-Polish Intergovernmental Coordination Council on Interregional Cooperation, that will take place in 2020.