Ms. Tetiana Khabibrakhamnova, Head of the Department for International Cooperation of the City of Lviv, began her speech by emphasising the close city partnership with Freiburg, which has existed since 1989. In the course of the cooperation between the two cities, a number of successful projects have already been carried out, such as the Ryasne project in the district of the same name - the twin cities have implemented model projects on energy efficiency and organised educational projects there. Heating systems have been renovated to distribute heat more evenly in residential buildings, LED lighting has been installed and energy lessons for schoolchildren have been introduced. Another current project presented was Unbroken, which is partly funded by the city of Freiburg. To care for the countless civilian and military victims of the war, a rehabilitation centre is being built in Lviv. It will provide care and support for those who have suffered physical injuries and mental stress. In addition, there are long-term plans to manufacture prostheses on site, for example - and thus to build up an "ecosystem of rehabilitation" in which people come first.

The opening of the rehabilitation centre is planned for April of this year and will take place together with the mayor of the city of Freiburg - an event that illustrates the solidarity and cooperation between the two cities.

In the exchange, the Ukrainian participants emphasised that, regarding the cooperation with Connective Cities and the German municipalities, joint identification, and efforts to find funding opportunities in particular are key building blocks for the implementation or further development of existing project ideas and thus the restoration of critical infrastructure in the municipalities. Ms. Jelena Karamatijevic from Connective Cities also pointed out the relevance of early involvement of funding organisations and opportunities in project planning.

This also goes hand in hand with a stronger focus on project associations to be able to raise more funding. In the future, GIZ's many years of experience and connections can continue to be put to good use when looking at funding opportunities and strategies.

This kick-off event marks the beginning of a dialogue between Ukrainian and German municipalities and lays the foundation for future cooperation to support local projects for the reconstruction of Ukrainian municipalities. The learning group aims at a collegial exchange of expertise between municipal representatives on various topics. The aim of the cooperation is to develop concrete solutions for local challenges and/or to support and further develop existing structures. Both municipalities in the region and municipal partnerships can network and advise each other. The learning group will offer exchanges on the following topics in the further course:

• Energy supply and green renovation of energy infrastructure
• Sustainable use of water resources
• Overburdened waste management systems
• Functionality of public transport
• Integration of internally displaced persons
• Resilience and crisis management

The offer is based on the National Reconstruction Plan of Ukraine respectively on the different national programmes such as the reconstruction and modernisation of social infrastructure and the reconstruction of a clean and safe environment. Over the next six months, the participants of the learning group should first clearly identify their needs and priorities. This will be followed by the outlining of possible solutions through peer consultation, capacity development and other agile offers from Connective Cities. Finally, the solution options are written out and linked to funding opportunities where appropriate.

If you are also interested in becoming part of the community learning group, please feel free to contact us.

Contact:

Paulina Koschmieder paulina.koschmieder(at)giz.de

Ketevan Papashvili ketevan.papashvili(at)giz.de