In Brussels for Ukraine: ALDA met a delegation from the Ukrainian Parliament to present its Flagship Initiative and work in the country

The commitment of ALDA in support of Ukraine and its population continues unceasingly since the very beginning of the war, in February 2022. On Thursday 6th July, the ALDA team met in Brussels (Belgium) with a delegation of the Ukrainian Parliament, supported by the Centre of Policy and Legal Reform (CPLR).

The meeting was an occasion to present the Association’s Flagship initiative in Ukraine to a delegation made of Members of the Parliament of Ukraine, representatives from the ministries and representatives from national associations of cities.

The meeting has been a valuable opportunity to present initiatives that ALDA is implementing in Ukraine to the Central Government and to the Parliament, as Local Democracy Agencies are working in the current national institutional context. 

The Association successfully introduced the Local Democracy Agencies, their past and future activities, as instruments to support local good governance and multi-stakeholders cooperation in Ukraine.

The meeting has been a valuable opportunity to present initiatives that ALDA is implementing in Ukraine

The president of the Working Group on Ukraine in the European Committee of the Regions, Ms. Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, also city mayor of Gdańsk (Poland), delivered an introductory speech to the delegation.

Other associations presented their work in the area, such as Assembly of European Regions (AER) AER and the International Center for Migration and Policy.

Afterwards, some of the people present took the floor, expressing interest in ALDA’s work and in the future opening of the Ukrainian LDAs, such as Mr. Oleksandr Aliksiychuk, Member of Parliament from Rivne Oblast and Head of the subcommittee on the cooperation of territorial communities and regions of Verkhovna Rada, who expressed his willingness to support LDA Rivne. 

Mr. Oleksandr Kachura, Member of Parliament from Sumy Oblast, Deputy Head of the Committee on the Organisation of State Power, Local Self-Government, Regional Development and Urban Planning also expressed his interest and support to the initiative. 

Likewise, Mr. Ihor Vasiliev, Member of Parliament from Sumy Oblast; Mr. Viacheslav Rubliov, Member of Parliament from Volyn Oblast; Ms. Larysa Bilozir, Member of Parliament from Vinnytsia Oblast demonstrated willingness to cooperate with ALDA and support the LDAs in their respective electoral districts. The particular interest to work on rural development echoed the Association’s narrative on subsidiarity and the possibilities to work with ALDA’s partners on this specific aspect. 

ALDA also had the chance to exchange with representatives from the All-Ukrainian Association of Hromadas and the Association of amalgamated territorial communities interested in the association’s membership and in joining the Flagship initiative.The meeting represented a fruitful moment of exchange where ALDA could meet Ukrainians MEPs and introduce its work in Ukraine, creating chances for future collaboration, continuing to support the country and its population.