Decentralisation in Ukraine is not for the first year in the focus at top-level international events. Foreign partners praise the results of our reform, provide expert and technical assistance. Equally important is the fact that support for decentralisation is increasing among Ukrainians from year to year, said Vyacheslav Nehoda, Deputy Minister of Communities and Territories’ Development of Ukraine, on 13 December at the House of Decentralisation during the international expert exchange conference “Empowering Municipalities: building resilient and sustainable local self-government”, organised by the U-LEAD with Europe Programme.

The event was also attended by Frederik Coene, First Counsellor, Head of Operations Section 2 "Local and Human Development", EU Delegation to Ukraine, Florian Hauser, European Commission's Structural Reform Support Service representative, international and Ukrainian experts of the U-LEAD with Europe Programme, other experts on local self-government, decentralisation, territorial reform, regional and local development. “It is important that Ukrainians believed in the reform. In 2015, only 19% of our citizens supported decentralisation, and in 2018 – already 58%. 61% of residents of amalgamated hromadas confirm an improvement in the quality of services in hromadas. So, we have to complete the reform and live up to people’s expectations, ”Vyacheslav Nehoda said.

He thanked the foreign partners for their assistance in the development of capable local governments in Ukraine, especially at the hromada level. “I am grateful to the U-LEAD Programme, personally to Mr. Georg Milbradt, and to all those involved in the implementation and support of local self-government reform in Ukraine. Together with our Ukrainian experts, experts from Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Slovenia, Switzerland, the United States and the United Kingdom are present here today, and their input is extremely important to us. Your presence at this event allows us to hope that the expert exchange will continue and we will jointly accomplish all the tasks of this ambitious reform much needed by the Ukrainians,” the Deputy Minister said.