The Norwegian city of Hamar has officially become a twin city with Rivne. The parties signed a long-term cooperation agreement on 15 May 2026.

This was reported on the official website of Hamar Municipality.

The document provides for the development of a partnership between the communities at the political, administrative, and interpersonal levels. This involves the exchange of experience, the implementation of joint projects, mutual visits, and the strengthening of cooperation in civil protection, energy, education, healthcare, and social services.

‘This agreement is an important contribution to international cooperation and solidarity during these challenging times,’ said Jane Meyer, Deputy Mayor of Hamar.

Hamar emphasises that the partnership with Rivne is part of a broader Nordic cooperation. Rivne already has partnership ties with Lund in Sweden and Borås in Finland, and now Hamar in Norway is joining this network. The municipality expects that such cooperation will help the communities jointly attract support from Nordic and European programmes, strengthen professional contacts, and develop new projects.

The parties place particular emphasis on the development of “people-to-people cooperation” – direct contacts between community residents, civil society organisations, and educational institutions. In Hamar, there are plans to establish a separate association of twin cities to coordinate such interaction.

The agreement has been concluded for four years and may be extended.

The document was signed on behalf of Hamar by Deputy Mayor Jane Meyer, and on behalf of Rivne by Viktor Shakyrzian, Secretary of the Rivne City Council and Acting Mayor.

The Decentralisation portal contains a separate section entitled ‘Partnership for Recovery and Development’, which contains news, best practices, and stories of cooperation between Ukrainian communities and international partners.