The Kalush community is expanding its scope of international cooperation. During a regular meeting of the Kalush City Council, councillors voted in favour of officially establishing a partnership with Hidalgo del Parral, a city in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Notably, the initiative originated from a foreign partner, which Kalush received with gratitude and openness.

According to Mayor Andrii Naida, the first online meeting has already taken place, during which the parties discussed potential areas of cooperation, including culture, education, development of business, and tourism. These areas could form the basis for an exchange of experiences, the implementation of joint initiatives, and the mutual strengthening of communities.

Hidalgo del Parral is a city with a rich history, having been founded in 1631 as a silver mining centre. Today, it is recognised as one of Mexico’s ‘Magic Towns’, a status that reflects its cultural uniqueness. It is home to over 113,000 people. Its economy is based on mining, the timber industry, and tourism.

‘This partnership is a new bridge of international solidarity, which is particularly important at a time when Ukraine is fighting for its freedom. We are confident that our cooperation with Parral will foster a deeper understanding of our cultures, facilitate the exchange of experiences, and enable us to implement joint projects,’ said Andrii Naida, Mayor of Kalush.

Developing international municipal cooperation is strategically important for Ukrainian communities. In times of war, such partnerships can strengthen international support, open up new development opportunities and demonstrate the strength and dignity of Ukrainian local self-government to the world. Most importantly, they connect Ukraine to the global democratic community.

As reported by the Monitoring of the Reform of Local Self-Government and Territorial Organisation of Power, conducted by the Ministry for Development, 2,108 international partnership agreements had been concluded as of 1 July 2025. These agreements involve 487 communities building ties with municipalities in 64 countries.