Ukraine and Sweden launch 11 new municipal partnerships
Today, there are more than 40 active Swedish-Ukrainian partnerships between local governments, when there was only one 4 years ago. Two new agreements were signed between Ivano-Frankivsk and Luleå, and between Chuhuiv and Danderyd, during the Second Swedish-Ukrainian Forum on Municipal Partnerships hosted by Sweden on 20-21 May. In total, Ukraine and Sweden established and deepened 11 partnerships between municipalities during this forum.
This was the second forum dedicated to cooperation between municipalities in both countries. The first, held in June 2023, laid the foundation for cooperation.
“Ukrainian local authorities and communities are very grateful for the assistance and donation from Sweden, at the same time we are now building mutually beneficial partnership. Because of our everyday experience of resilience – we will become providers of new knowledge – knowledge which we are ready to share with all our Swedish friends,” said Andrii Plakhotniuk, Ambassador of Ukraine to Sweden.
Among the forum participants were 11 Swedish-Ukrainian municipal partnerships: Vänersborg – Yampil, Gotland – Beryslav, Danderyd – Chuhuiv, Örebro – Kharkiv, Eslöv – Khotyn, Karlskoga – Shepetivka, Kristianstad – Uman, Luleå – Ivano-Frankivsk, Norrköping – Kherson, and Uppsala – Lviv, Helsingborg – Vinnytsia (potential partnership, discussions ongoing).
Some of these municipalities met in person for the first time. Others already have experience working together, have exchanged visits, and even met in de-occupied territories of Ukraine. Several Ukrainian mayors travelled to their Swedish counterparts immediately after the forum for working visits.
“This forum celebrates your leadership and collaboration. Whether you are just beginning your collaboration or already implementing projects together, you are helping to lay the foundation for a resilient, democratic and European Ukraine. We´re here to celebrate that work – and to support you as you take the next steps,” said Ryan Knox, Managing Director of SALAR International.
The forum is not just an official program. It is a lively dialogue about how cooperation at the municipal level can bring real results. One of the key discussions was a panel on why Swedish communities want to learn from Ukrainian ones, particularly in the areas of digitalization, crisis response, and mobilization of community resources.
“In Cities4Cities’ experience, the most sustainable partnerships are those that are equal. Ukraine is very strong in digitalization and sustainability, for example. Communities in our network are already teaching Europeans how to prepare for blackouts, crisis management, and child safety in schools. In return, Ukrainian communities do not expect a generator from the partnership — they need experience on the path to European integration, and they are also ready to share their,” said Svitlana Blinova, coordinator of the Cities4Cities initiative.
Background
Until 2022, the only active partnership between a Ukrainian and a Swedish municipality was in Gotland with the village of Zmiivka (now part of Beryslav community in Kherson region) — the only historic Swedish settlement in Ukraine. However, it was only after the start of the full-scale war that municipal relations evolved into a systemic form of cooperation. It was at that point that the Cities4Cities initiative emerged — a bridge between Ukrainian and European municipalities. As of today, with the support of SALAR International and within the Polaris programme, Cities4Cities has facilitated the creation of more than 70 Ukraine-EU municipal partnerships.
About the Forum
With financing from Sida, SALAR International is organising the Municipal Partnership Forum in collaboration with Cities4Cities, within the Polaris programme in Ukraine.