On February 13-14, representatives from Shatsk community in Volyn Oblast visited the Poliana community in Zakarpattia Oblast to establish inter-municipal cooperation and explore Poliana’s best practices in achieving strategic goals. USAID HOVERLA Activity supported the visit to facilitate the partnership between the municipalities.

The participants joined the roundtable discussions, which focused on tourism development and the natural resources utilization. They also learned about healthcare, recreational, cultural, and entertainment services provided by Poliana community, visited the mineral water bottling plant,  sanatoriums, and the mountain ski resort. In addition, the participants discussed the progress of the joint territory branding project with Ihor Chava, the Head of the Department for the Coordination of Tourism Infrastructure Development at the State Agency for Tourism Development of Ukraine.

The Mayor of Poliana community Ivan Drogobetsky, who is currently serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine but was in Poliana during the visit, welcomed the guests from Shatsk community, whose Mayor also recently joined the Armed Forces.

Mayor Drogobetsky emphasized:

"If you want to achieve results, you are in the right place. Together, we will join efforts and will go through all the steps together: from the idea to success. We should unite, and the magnet of our unity is the USAID HOVERLA Activity."

Representatives of the Poliana community also shared their experience in the provision of services and organizing the work of the Administrative Services Center. At the beginning of the full-scale war, they were able to accommodate over 20 thousand internally displaced persons. In addition, they shared the best practices in implementing educational and sports projects, showcased their Youth Sports School, well-equipped sports grounds, and stadium. All these facilities are available to the residents and create a comfortable environment in the community.

As the next step in the partnership, the Shatsk and Poliana communities will sign a memorandum of inter-municipal cooperation, which will facilitate the joint territory branding project, the development of a marketing strategy, and the promotion of the tourism industry.

"Our cooperation is mutually beneficial, as it strengthens the capacity of both communities in economic development," Nelia Petrus, the Acting Mayor of the Poliana community, noted.

"Our cooperation is about development. We are pleased to take these important steps together with the USAID HOVERLA Activity, which is our reliable partner and teacher," Bogdan Tymoshchuk, the secretary of the Shatsk community, summed up.

USAID HOVERLA Activity supports partner communities in establishing inter-municipal cooperation, serving as a catalyst for comprehensive community development. As of today, 19 agreements have already been signed between municipalities, helping to optimize resource utilization, promote cultural diversity, stimulate economic growth, address environmental issues, and facilitate the creation of large-scale projects.