An agreement was signed between the mayors to support the sustainable reconstruction of Ukrainian cities
On Friday, August 19, the mayor of Athens Kostas Bakoyannis had a meeting with the Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky and the mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, as part of his visit to Kyiv, with a delegation of Mayors of European cities.
The goal of the mayors’ mission was to sign an agreement to support the sustainable reconstruction of Ukrainian cities.
The agreement signed, in the presence of the Ukrainian President, by his representative, provides for a specific cooperation plan to cover all reconstruction needs and is an initiative of the Eurocities network, in which Athens participates.
In their joint communiqué, immediately after the signing of the agreement, the mayors of Florence, Athens, Helsinki, Lyon, Marseille, Oslo, Riga, Tirana and Kiev note:
“We, the mayors and leaders of European and Ukrainian cities, condemn Russia’s war in Ukraine and call for the immediate withdrawal of Russian forces and the restoration of peace. We are committed to combining our efforts to prepare and implement the rapid and sustainable reconstruction of Ukrainian cities, which have been destroyed by Russian attacks since February 24, 2022.”
V. Zelensky: We are grateful for the help, it is important to rebuild our cities and communities
Addressing the mayors during the signing ceremony, the Ukrainian president said: “It is very important that you Mayors in the middle of the war showed bravery and came to Ukraine, to our capital Kyiv. Many thanks also to your governments. I appreciate your support in our struggle for national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Especially now, your visit is very important. When we talk about aid and support – humanitarian, military, political, – it is also important not to forget the help in rebuilding our cities and communities. And it is important that reconstruction begins not after the war but now. Humanitarian measures must be ensured and provided to allow people in Ukraine to return to normal life. This is very difficult for us, for our budget. Because we allocate almost all our money to the strengthening of the army. That’s why we would be grateful for your help”
K. Bakoyannis: “The reconstruction of Ukraine must begin today and be supported by the entire democratic world”
The mayor of Athens, referring to the signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation, pointed out that the support and active contribution to the reconstruction of Ukraine is an obligation of the entire democratic world.
As he characteristically stated: “Ukraine’s reconstruction is a long process that must begin today. The democratic world should be ready to support this Marathon with strong will and determination. Athens with all its strength will be part of the common European effort to rebuild Ukrainian cities and support the friendly Ukrainian people.”
Moreover, Dario Nardella, head of the mission in the capacity of President of the Eurocities Network, and Mayor of Florence, said: “We wish to offer hope, support and solidarity to the Ukrainian people for a peaceful and democratic future. We, the mayors, as the politicians who are closest to the citizens than anyone else, conveyed this closeness and solidarity on behalf of peoples from all over Europe during our meeting with President Zelensky and fellow Ukrainian mayors.”
The next steps
A joint task force, which will be made up of political representatives of the Eurocities network, the Union of Ukrainian Cities and the Office of the President of Ukraine will hold regular meetings, overseeing the implementation of the agreement.
André Sobczak, Secretary General of the Eurocities Cities Network, who also participated in the mission, said among others: “Our member cities have a long history of cross-border cooperation, including with Kharkiv, Kyiv, Lviv and Odesa, cities that are all members of the Eurocities Network. The Mayors in attendance, as well as many of their colleagues, have expressed to me a strong desire to combine our resources as city builders and share this expertise to create sustainable and inclusive cities in Ukraine.”
Itinerary of the mayors in the martyred cities of Borodyanka, Buka and Irpin
The delegation of mayors in which together with Mr. Bakoyannis and Mr. Dario Nardella participated the mayors of Helsinki Juhana Vartiainen, Lyon Grégory Doucet, Marseille Benoît Payan, Riga Mārtiņš Staķis, Oslo Raymond Johansen, Tirana Erion Veliaj, as well as the CEO of Eurocities in Brussels André Sobczak visited Borodianka, Buka and Irpin. These three Ukrainian cities were under a long Russian siege and suffered the greatest civilian casualties and destruction of their infrastructure.
In Buka, where the greatest atrocities took place, the European mayors visited the site of the mass burial of the innocent civilians killed by the Russians.
“I am overwhelmed by the images I saw and the stories we were told. We have no right to forget. Our visit to the destroyed Ukrainian cities also has this goal. Let us not forget how destructive this war is and how many innocent lives have been lost, how much misery and pain those left behind carry. But I bow to the incomparable fortitude of the citizens of Borodyanka, Buka and Irpin. Overall of the Ukrainian people and their leadership. Their resistance is heroic. Their will to remain an independent nation and a free democracy is ironclad. We are and will be by their side”, said Mr. Bakoyannis.
The twinning of Athens and Kyiv was decided by Bakoyannis and Klitschko
On Friday afternoon, the delegation of mayors also met with the mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko, while earlier they had walked together in the center of the Ukrainian capital.
Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis and Mayor Vitali Klitschko, who maintain close cooperation, announced that they will proceed with the twinning of Athens and Kyiv.
Finally, Mr. Bakoyiannis had a meeting with the charge d’affaires of Greece in Kyiv, Mr. Manolis Androulakis, who as consul general in Mariupol was the last foreign diplomat to leave the city, after first ensuring the safe exit of hundreds of expatriates and personally accompanying the last convoy.
The Mayor of Athens was informed by the Greek envoy about the needs especially of the Greek diaspora in Ukraine, which counts centuries of presence in the country.
The basic principles governing the agreement
The agreement is based on the following basic principles:
– A shared vision for sustainable urban development that ensures that regeneration projects contribute to the creation of urban areas that are green, energy efficient, ensure health, safety and well-being, inclusive, while providing equal opportunities for all citizens .
– Respect for the rule of law, ensuring responsibility and accountability among partner cities. Transparency in transactions, especially in relation to investments, reaffirming the key role of self-governance, supporting the decentralization of powers and the creation of means and capabilities at the local level.
– Active participation of citizens and local stakeholders in the reconstruction process, and taking into account their proposals and requests in matters of local development, and central to a new beginning post-war for the cities and citizens of Ukraine.
What the Memorandum of Cooperation provides for supporting the sustainable reconstruction of Ukrainian cities
Among other things, the “obligations” of the two sides are recorded in detail in the memorandum accompanying the agreement.
The member cities of the Eurocities Network undertake to:
– Pool and organize our resources, including technical knowledge and expertise, best practices, skills, material and financial resources, and will match requests for support from Ukrainians
– To effectively coordinate the efforts for the maximum possible result, with constant thorough supervision of the commitments undertaken by the member cities, promoting at the same time the synergies between similar projects, the good distribution of specific projects.
– To provide assistance in finding EU funds in order to implement the reconstruction projects.
The Union of Ukrainian Cities, in cooperation with the Office of the President of Ukraine, undertakes:
– To draw up a list of capital reconstruction projects for Ukrainian cities destroyed during the Russian war.
– Effectively coordinate reconstruction efforts, avoiding overlaps and ensuring the most expanded impact for all war-affected Ukrainian cities.
– To provide a mechanism, suitable and transparent, for the financing of reconstruction projects.
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