On 28 October, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe was held in Strasbourg. The plenary session was opened by Oleksii Kuleba, Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine – Minister of Development of Communities and Territories.

 

 

In his speech, the Deputy Prime Minister thanked the Council of Europe for its unwavering support and attention to Ukraine. He also spoke about the challenges that communities face in wartime and the importance of European integration and the implementation of local self-government reform.

On the challenges that communities face during the war

In recent months, Russia has attacked our energy sector and infrastructure every single day. Power plants, substations and gas and water supply facilities have been targeted. There have been targeted strikes on our logistics, particularly ports and railways – over 800 attacks since the beginning of the year. Enemy drones are hunting our locomotives.

The enemy’s goal is clear: to isolate frontline territories, disrupt supply routes and cut off people’s access to heat, light and water.

‘These attacks will not stop us from working. Communities in the Sumy, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, and southern regions protect, repair and maintain life-support facilities every day. Even under fire, the development of Black Sea ports and logistics routes that support the economy continues.

Ukraine is strengthening the protection of critical infrastructure. We are building up our equipment reserves. We are installing engineering shelter systems. Our work focuses on sustainable recovery, offering communities new technologies, connections and opportunities.

Russia is trying to plunge us into darkness on the eve of winter. Nevertheless, we are restoring, protecting, and developing infrastructure, even under fire. Despite everything, the heating season officially started in Ukraine today,’ emphasised Mr Kuleba.

In collaboration with international partners, Ukraine is implementing strategic infrastructure projects. The European Investment Bank is supporting the modernisation of transport hubs and urban areas, as well as the construction of roads, bridges and other facilities that will form the basis of the future economy.

European Cohesion Policy

 

 

Despite the hostilities, Ukraine is not only quickly repairing the damage, but also laying the foundations for a sustainable recovery.

‘I would like to express my gratitude to the Council of Europe for its assistance and participation in Ukraine’s European accession processes. In September, we completed the screening process to ensure compliance with European legislation. This is a historic step towards the European Union. Thanks to our joint efforts, we completed the screening in record time, proving that Ukraine is ready for the next stage of European integration. I would like to emphasise that, even during the war, Ukraine continues to reform local self-government and regional development,’ said the Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration – Minister for Development of Communities and Territories.

Ukraine remains committed to the principles of European Cohesion Policy, namely the development of strong and capable communities. We are particularly focused on introducing digital tools to make governance more transparent and to improve the effectiveness of project planning and monitoring.

‘With the support of experts from the Council of Europe, we have updated the Concept of Decentralisation Reform. These changes will make the reform more effective in the context of war and post-war recovery. One of the key steps is to clearly delineate the powers between the central government and local self-government. We are particularly grateful for the Council of Europe’s contribution to creating the International Register of Damage for Ukraine, which covers both material and non-material damage. Millions of Ukrainians who have suffered as a result of Russian aggression are waiting for compensation from frozen assets. We are also grateful for the establishment of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. It is crucial that we do everything in our power to ensure that Russia is held accountable and that aggression is punished. We are also grateful for your leadership,’ added Oleksii Kuleba.