Deputy Prime Minister for Ukraine’s Reconstruction – Minister for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine Oleksii Kuleba held a meeting with Mathieu Mori, Secretary General of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe.

Oleksii Kuleba and Deputy Minister Oleksii Riabykin discussed the next steps towards completing the decentralisation reform.

«The Congress of the Council of Europe remains our long-term partner in strengthening local self-government. We are now completing an important stage of decentralisation by updating legislation so that communities can operate in a stable manner during wartime and move towards EU standards. We are working on this together with community leaders and experts who took part in the consultations, and their experience has formed the basis of the documents we are preparing for consideration by the Government», – the Deputy Prime Minister said.

A separate area of cooperation is the International Register of Damage. Ukrainians have already submitted nearly 80,000 claims. Each one represents lost housing, destroyed infrastructure, and the lived experiences of people who have survived attacks. This database will serve as the foundation for a compensation mechanism that is to be launched for all those affected.

The Ministry’s work focuses on frontline regions, where communities live under extremely difficult conditions: constant shelling, damaged networks, the complex operation of municipal services, and a heavy burden on local teams. This is why partner programmes must be primarily directed toward frontline communities.

They need additional tools to support people, maintain essential services, and recover after attacks. 

«I thank Mathieu Mori for his consistent support of Ukraine and for his personal visit to Kyiv. This is a strong signal of solidarity and support from Europe — especially now, at a time of constant Russian attacks on the country’s critical infrastructure and logistics. Our joint work with the Council of Europe strengthens communities at every level — from policymaking to concrete solutions that directly affect people’s lives », – emphasised Oleksii Kuleba.