The 93rd annual meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors is taking place in Tampa, Florida, USA. The Ukrainian delegation, consisting of Tetiana Yehorova-Lutsenko (President of the Ukrainian Association of District and Regional Councils), Andrii Besedin (Head of the Kupiansk Community) and Viktor Kovalenko (Head of the Chernihiv District Council), is attending the event by invitation from the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

The event brought together mayors from all over the United States, from New York to Los Angeles, to discuss current challenges and strategies in the areas of economic and public safety, innovation, disaster recovery, and international partnerships.

The Standing Committee on International Affairs held a special session on Ukraine.

‘I presented the situation in Ukraine and outlined potential areas for cooperation between Ukrainian and American cities and regions,’ said Tetiana Ehorova-Lutsenko.

During the event, Ms Yehorova-Lutsenko thanked the U.S. Conference of Mayors and its president, Mayor Andrew Ginther, for signing the Memorandum of Cooperation with UAROR. This agreement establishes the Centre for Urban Partnerships and Solidarity, a platform for knowledge exchange, technical assistance, mutual learning, and humanitarian initiatives.

‘This is an important step towards institutional strengthening of cooperation between Ukrainian and American cities,’ said the President of the UAROR.

The participants were impressed by the speech of Andrii Besedin, Head of the Kupiansk community, who described the realities of life in Ukrainian communities during a full-scale war.

‘His speech did not leave anyone indifferent,’ said Ms Yehorova-Lutsenko.

Following the discussions, the attendees of the Conference adopted a Resolution in support of Ukraine, which contained a number of specific provisions:

• confirming the unwavering solidarity of American mayors with Ukrainian communities since the first days of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022;
• support for Ukrainian local leaders who are providing vital services and preserving democratic governance in the face of war;
• calling on the U.S. Federal Government to expand its support for Ukrainian communities in restoration of infrastructure, development of civil society, care for mental health, and economic revival;
• official support for the creation of the Centre for Urban Partnerships and Solidarity as a permanent mechanism for strengthening partnerships, professional exchange and technical cooperation.

The Resolution also calls for the document to be shared with representatives of the US executive and legislative branches, as well as with international partners and Ukrainian local government associations, in order to further strengthen solidarity.

The U.S. Conference of Mayors brings together mayors of American cities to engage with the White House and the Congress to ensure that the interests of local governments are taken into account in federal policy.