From 28 to 30 May, the ‘Forum of Slovenian-Ukrainian Cooperation: Strengthening Partnerships for Recovery and Reconstruction’, organised by the Centre for European Perspectives (CEP) in cooperation with the Government of Slovenia, Lviv City Council, and the CEP Programme, is being held in Lviv.
The forum brought together government representatives from Ukraine and Slovenia, as well as local authorities, international organisations, and members of the diplomatic corps. The participants discussed how international partnerships could strengthen the capacity of communities and facilitate their integration into Europe.
The event was attended by Oleksii Riabykin, Deputy Minister for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine. He delivered a welcoming speech and joined the panel discussion on local and regional recovery priorities. In his speech, the Deputy Minister thanked the Slovenian party for their support and emphasised the role of international partnerships in restoring and strengthening the capacity of communities.
‘We are talking about reconstruction, but in Ukrainian reality, this means reconstruction amid a full-scale war. The entire territory is under threat of shelling, yet communities do not stop. They have become centres of resilience and support for people. They are shaping the future of Ukraine. We are not asking for help — we are offering joint action. After all, the recovery of Ukraine means the recovery of Europe as a space of freedom, dignity, and justice,’ said Oleksii Riabykin.
During the panel discussion, Oleksii Riabykin outlined the key areas of state policy relating to regional development. He emphasised that the decentralisation reform formed the basis of community resilience during the most challenging periods of war. Ukraine has already updated its State Strategy for Regional Development, aligning it with 19 regional strategies.
He said that the next step is to transition to a new model of public investment management, focusing on medium-term plans based on community strategies. This approach is being implemented via the DREAM digital ecosystem, which currently contains over 11,000 projects. The Deputy Minister also emphasised the ongoing local self-government reform, including the creation of the Unified Register of Acts and the gradual transition to a prefectural model of supervision.
In the context of community support, Oleksii Riabykin highlighted the ‘Shoulder to Shoulder: Cohesive Communities’ project, which has already united over 450 Ukrainian communities in horizontal partnerships to support frontline outposts.
Oleksii Riabykin also held a separate bilateral meeting with Srečko Djurov, State Secretary for Regional Development at the Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development of the Republic of Slovenia, on the sidelines of the forum. The two officials discussed potential future cooperation in the field of local development, as well as preparations for negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the EU. The Slovenian party confirmed its readiness to support Ukraine with the screening of Chapter 22 ‘Regional Policy and Coordination of Structural Instruments’.
The forum agenda included discussions on the role of international municipal partnerships, a ceremony to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and GIZ, and presentations of initiatives in waste management, housing policy, agglomeration development, and European integration. The participants also paid tribute to the fallen defenders of Ukraine and to Slovenian soldiers of the First World War buried at the Lychakiv Cemetery.
