Vitalii Bezgin, Member of the Ukrainian Parliament, announced that a preliminary agreement had been reached with representatives of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania to launch practical European integration training for Ukrainian communities.

Mr Bezgin claims that this project will be a logical extension of the successful practice that has already been implemented at the regional level in Poland.

‘This training will be conducted at no cost to the Ukrainian budget,’ said Vitalii Bezgin, emphasising that key decisions were made following a meeting with donors from Switzerland, Germany and Lithuania, who continue to actively support the decentralisation reform in Ukraine.

Not only will the systemic institutional support for the reform continue, it will also be synchronised with the priorities of the Verkhovna Rada and the Cabinet of Ministers in the new autumn–winter session, ensuring coherence of action at all levels of authority.

The MP expressed special gratitude to the European partners who, without hesitation or delay, supported Ukrainian communities and regions following the withdrawal of their American counterparts.

‘Communities that are interested in training or improving the capacity of their specialists can apply directly,’ added the MP.

Why is this important?

Initiatives of this scale are a powerful tool that can bring Ukrainian communities closer to European standards of governance and help them to attract investment and develop their local economies. With no additional budgetary burden and with international support, this is an opportunity to transform communities from within.

Such practical European integration programmes help create effective cooperation models between authorities and the community, strengthen institutional capacity, and boost the professional skills of local specialists. These are the foundations on which successful decentralisation and the sustainable development of territories are based.

Ukraine is on the doorstep of significant change, and such partnerships with Europe are essential for a future in which local authorities and communities have the tools they need to thrive.