The European Week of Cities and Regions (#EURegionsWeek2025) – the EU’s largest annual forum dedicated to cohesion policy, territorial development, and cooperation between regional and local authorities – has concluded in Brussels.

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This year’s event brought together representatives from the European Union, the governments of its member states, local administrations, businesses, and civil society. The delegation from the Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine was led by Deputy Minister Oleksii Riabykin.

 

 

As part of European Week of Cities and Regions, the Ukrainian delegation held working meetings with Antje Grotheer, Chair of the Working Group of the European Committee of the Regions on Ukraine, Claudia Luciani, Director of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, Kata Tüttő, President of the European Committee of the Regions, and Anna Jarosz-Friis, Director of the Ukrainian Service of DG ENEST.

The Ukrainian delegation presented an updated concept for the State Fund for Regional Development (SFRD), which was prepared after consulting with EC directorates. The key principles are a territorially oriented approach, the efficient use of resources, strategic planning, transparency, and accountability. These principles form part of Ukraine’s preparations for integration into the EU’s common regional development management system.

 

 

The participants separately discussed the implementation of indicators within the Ukraine Facility regarding the development of local self-government and the improvement of institutional capacity of the regions.

‘For us, European integration is not just a matter of legislation, but above all the capacity of communities and regions. We are gradually moving towards a European model of regional policy, where decisions are made on the basis of data, resources are allocated fairly and efficiently, and communities have the tools for development. The support of the European Union allows us not only to rebuild what has been destroyed, but also to build a modern management system where each region becomes a place of growth and part of a common European space,’ said Oleksii Riabykin, Deputy Minister for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine.

Together with the European Committee of the Regions, the Ukrainian delegation also discussed the possibility of setting up a Coordination Office for the Development and Recovery of Communities and Regions of Ukraine. The office would strengthen coordination between Ukrainian regions, European partners and donors, and provide systematic support for the recovery process and integration into EU cohesion policy

 

 

During the European Week of Cities and Regions, Deputy Minister Oleksii Riabykin, on behalf of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, presented the Order of Merit, Third Class, to Vasco Alves Cordeiro, former President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) (June 2022–February 2025).

‘This award recognises your many years of support for Ukraine, which we have all felt during these difficult times of war. We are extremely grateful for your efforts as President of the European Committee of the Regions. I would now like to invite you to accept this award. It is a great honour for our country to have such friends,’ emphasised Oleksii Riabykin.