First Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oleksandr Korniienko joined the Bucha Forum «Reforms. Decentralisation. European Integration» with a welcoming speech.
The event, organised by the Committee on Organisation of State Power, Local Self-Government, Regional Development and Urban Planning (hereinafter referred to as the Committee), was attended by members of parliament, representatives of central and local authorities, heads of regional communities, international experts and organisations, as well as participants in Ukrainian-European projects.
«This year, I initiated that this forum was dedicated to the memory of local government officials who were captured or killed while defending their communities. Everyone has seen the condition in which civilian prisoners of war are returned. We have gathered information about mayors and village heads who were captured, and we will advocate for their release at the highest level. Each such action draws the attention of the world community to russia's horrific violations of conventions and human rights,» said Oleksandr Korniienko.
During the Forum, participants also discussed the national strategy for decentralisation reform in the context of European integration, priorities for legislative change, successful practices for community and regional development with the participation of international organisations, as well as the division of powers between authorities at different levels and mechanisms for ensuring effective multi-level governance.
During his speech, Oleksandr Korniienko emphasised the importance of decentralisation as a key element in the development of strong regions and effective interaction between central and local authorities. He noted the achievements of the Verkhovna Rada in implementing the reform and stressed the need for further coordination of approaches to its implementation. «Only strong regions and effective interaction between central authorities and local self-government will ensure the future of the entire country, both in political and security terms,» the First Deputy Speaker stressed.
He also stressed the importance of supporting regions in difficult wartime conditions. He called on communities to actively participate in international projects, initiate joint development initiatives with international organisations, and implement European standards at the local level. He also stressed the need to improve the effectiveness of local self-government, in particular with regard to providing quality support to veterans after demobilisation and Ukrainians released from captivity.
«I also called on everyone who is not yet participating in Interreg programmes to join in: learn foreign languages and hire managers, because many international partners are ready to help when they see a working mechanism in place,» he said.
Currently, according to Oleksandr Korniienko, the key issue remains the adoption of legislation on the distribution of powers in the local self-government system. He called on the opposition to help unblock parliamentary work so that the Verkhovna Rada could adopt the 2026 State Budget and other laws that are a priority for communities. «We continue to work actively on the implementation of decentralisation reform: the introduction of oversight, legislative work, financial decentralisation, and tax administration,» said the First Deputy Speaker.
Special attention was paid to the transparency of budget spending at the local level. According to Oleksandr Korniienko, the optimisation of these processes and digitising data on the performance of local authorities will make the results of regional work more accessible to the public, thereby increasing trust on the part of society and international partners.
Emphasising the importance of the Forum and its international recognition, the First Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine thanked the mayors and communities for their dedicated work during the war, their contribution to the restoration of infrastructure, the provision of services to the population and the counteraction of russian aggression.
The Forum also became a platform for important meetings with partners. Together with the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Administrative and Territorial Structure of the Committee, Vitalii Bezghin, the First Deputy Speaker met with the Director of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, Claudia Luciani. «He expressed gratitude for the support and attention to Ukrainian issues, in particular on the path to European integration. Local development, European standards for all regions of Ukraine, and equal access to services and opportunities are also important. Therefore, we discussed specific steps to achieve these plans, as well as possible tools that will contribute to the achievement of the set goals,» Oleksandr Korniienko said.
The parties also discussed strengthening the dialogue between central and local authorities, as well as continuing the decentralisation reform in Ukraine, which, according to him, has been recognised by European partners as the most successful.