"Today, international intermunicipal partnerships are not just diplomacy at the community level. They are a new infrastructure of trust that helps our communities survive the war not in isolation, but in a circle of friends and allies. It is a platform for economic renewal, social revival, human exchange and joint European integration. But most importantly, it is also a powerful signal to the outside world: Ukrainian communities do not ask for help, they offer partnership. They are the subjects of the new Europe, capable of creating solutions, developing environments and sharing experiences that form a new quality of public administration even in time of war,’ said Viacheslav Nehoda, Head of the Ternopil Regional Military Administration.

 

 

The world comes closer together when communities speak the language of trust, of joint projects and of human solidarity.

On 29 April, Ternopil hosted the international conference ‘Communities without Borders: From Support to Sustainable Development’, which brought together Ukrainian and foreign communities to celebrate an important but often underestimated in the public space the Sister Cities International Day. In today’s challenging environment, this day has become not only an opportunity to meet, but also a symbol of the sustainability of partnerships forged not on paper, but in joint action.

The conference was organised by the Ternopil Regional Military Administration, the Ternopil Regional Council and the West Ukrainian National University. The Ternopil region decided to make this date meaningful, filling it with dialogues and new agreements. The programme covered two key topics: the role of sister cities during wartime, and the exchange of experiences relating to economic development and European integration.

Viacheslav Nehoda, Head of the Ternopil Regional State Administration, Bohdan Butkovskyi, Head of the Ternopil Regional Council, Oleksii Riabykin, Deputy Minister for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine, representatives of the diplomatic missions of Lithuania, Poland, Moldova, Norway, community leaders of the region and their foreign counterparts participated in the event.

‘International intermunicipal cooperation is about our future, it is about sharing knowledge and experience in overcoming crises, making our communities stronger and more resilient to today’s challenges. Our task today is to turn short-term support into long-term opportunities, to build partnerships that go beyond borders and combine knowledge, experience, and innovation. Strong communities are not only the answer to today’s challenges, but also the key to a sustainable future for future generations,’ said Oleksii Riabykin, Deputy Minister for Development of Communities and Territories Development.

He thanked the Ternopil Regional Military Administration for its leadership in the process of multi-level governance reform. ‘This is a very important example for the whole of Ukraine. You inspire our communities to change, because there will be no better time for reform,’ the Deputy Minister added.

 

 

Three new Letters of Intent were signed during the conference: between the Monastyryska community and the city of Grajewo (Poland), the Borsuky community and the gmina of Grajewo (Poland), and the Zboriv community and the city of Velka Bystrice (Czech Republic). These agreements focus on infrastructure development, urban and rural governance, and participation in European recovery initiatives.

‘Speaking of international intermunicipal partnerships, it is not just about helping in times of need,’ Viacheslav Nehoda, Head of the Ternopil Regional State Administration, said. ‘It is about developing local leadership, analysing the solutions that work and adapting them to our reality. These horizontal links with cities in Poland, Germany, Sweden, the USA, France or Lithuania are laying the foundations for the integration of communities into the environment, where European rules have long been in force. For us, this is not just a way to Europe – it is a way to strengthen ourselves. For when communities cooperate with their counterparts in other countries on an equal footing, they gain subjectivity, and with it, strength.’

As of today, there are 109 formal international cooperation agreements in the Ternopil region. The communities of Chortkiv (9 agreements), Ternopil (7), Kopychyntsi (7), and Ozerna (4) are particularly active in developing partnerships. In total, 27 communities in the region are working systematically to create and expand a network of sister cities. The geography of cooperation covers Poland, Germany, France, the USA, Sweden, Italy, Belgium, Norway, Moldova, the UK and other countries.

These processes are part of a wider national trend: by April 2025, 487 Ukrainian communities had signed 2,101 partnership agreements with their counterparts from 64 countries. Each of them holds a piece of our shared story of recovery, dignity, and openness. While partnerships are not measured in numbers alone, such initiatives prove that Ukrainian communities have long been thinking in terms of global interaction, not just local survival.