Zhytomyr, 20 May 2017– Amid celebrations of the Europe Days in Zhytomyr, the Local Government Development Centre opened its regional centrefor the Zhytomyr Oblast with the support of the EU-fundedUkraine – Local Empowerment, Accountability and Development Programme (U-LEAD with Europe) and the Ministry for Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine (MinRegion).

HennadiiZubko, Vice Prime Minister who is also the head of the MinRegion, Peter Wagner, Head of the Support Group for Ukraine, Berend de Groot, Head of Cooperation of the EU Delegation to Ukraine, both programme directors of U-LEAD with Europe and heads of the Zhytomyr Oblast Council and Oblast State Administration took part in the official opening of the Zhytomyr Regional Centre of LGDC and the round table with representatives of local authorities, amalgamated hromadas and civil society to discuss the decentralisation reform in the region and ways to support it further.

Cutting the red ribbon in the Zhytomyr regional centre,HennadiiZubkosaid: «I would like the Zhytomyr Oblast to be the leader not only with the number of amalgamated hromadas, but also with the quality of life in those hromadas regarding education, healthcare, spatial planning, administrative services, safety and – the most important thing – in changing lives of common Ukrainians.” MrZubko also thanked the European partners for supporting the decentralisation reform and expressed his hope that the Zhytomyr LGDC will become a hub for all smart and energetic people who are reforming Ukraine.

"Ukraine's decentralisation reform is a success: it is proceeding faster than expected, providing concrete benefits for the local hromadas,”Peter Wagner said. “Amalgamated hromadashave become new centres of civic engagement and economic growth. Europe supports this reform with U-LEAD-funded Local Government Development Centres allover Ukraine."

The Local Government Development Centre (LGDC) is the non-profit entity with 24 Regional Centres established to build the capacity of Ukrainian state and local government authorities at the central, regional and local level in close coordination with the MinRegion.

Background Information:

The U-LEAD with Europe Programme is a multi-donor action of the European Union and its Member StatesDenmark, Estonia, Germany, Poland and Sweden supporting the Ukrainian government in the implementation of the milestone decentralisation reform in Ukraine. U-LEAD with Europe is implemented from 2016-2020 by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) in partnership with the Ministry of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine (MinRegion).

More information can be found on: www.u-lead.org.ua