On June 7, a formal event was held to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the Swiss-Ukrainian project “Ukraine’s Cohesion and Regional Development” (UCORD), the Regional Development Agency (RDA) of the Ternopil Oblast, the Ternopil Regional Council and the Ternopil Regional Military Administration to establish close cooperation and consolidate the efforts aimed at the recovery and development of the Ternopil Oblast.

The signatories of the Memorandum stressed the value and importance of cooperation in the region, as well as agreed on the necessary steps for the effective functioning of the Regional Development Agency (RDA) of the Ternopil Oblast. Viktor Ustenko, Deputy Head of the Ternopil Regional Military Administration, detailed how the Ternopil Oblast could become an incubator to foster professionals for the recovery of all of Ukraine.

The RDA of the Ternopil Oblast is an institution that can become a hub of knowledge and a platform for social cohesion and dialogue between the public, businesses and authorities. Andrii Semeniuk, Director of the Regional Development Agency, emphasised the importance of effective and fruitful cooperation of all partners to achieve development goals in the oblast.

According to Volodymyr Boleschuk, First Deputy Chairman of the Ternopil Regional Council, the expectations for cooperation based on the signed Memorandum are high, and the signatories anticipate good results from supporting the effective functioning of the RDA of the Ternopil Oblast.

In turn, Maryna Bryl, Deputy Head of the UCORD Project, outlined the tasks for the next 4 months. Among other things, they include support to the RDA of the Ternopil Oblast in strengthening its institutional capacity and transformation of its management structures. To do this, UCORD will consider the vision of the ADR, its purpose and role in regional development, management mechanisms, main functions, priorities, organisational measures, staffing and financial requirements. This will help determine all the resources needed to ensure the effectiveness of the RDA of the Ternopil Oblast.

In the future, the Memorandum envisages the strengthening of the institutional capacity of the RDA of the Ternopil Oblast in order to enhance the role of the RDA in the planning of local and regional development projects that maximise the potential of the Ternopil Oblast.

Photo from Ternopil Regional Military Administration