The leadership of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, together with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, took part in a meeting of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under the President of Ukraine, which was held in Uzhhorod.
“Strong communities are the foundation of a successful state and our path toward the European Union,” emphasised Ruslan Stefanchuk, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
A separate session “Community Dialogue with Parliament” was held with the participation of members of the Ukrainian Parliament. This format provides an opportunity to directly discuss issues of concern to local authorities and align legislative decisions with local needs.
As Ruslan Stefanchuk emphasised, every initiative the Parliament is working on shares a common goal—to make Ukrainian communities self-sufficient, safe, and attractive to investors.
“We clearly understand that Ukraine’s path to the European Union depends on the ability of local governments to function and develop in accordance with the highest democratic standards. There is a lot of difficult work ahead, but it is precisely in the constant dialogue between the President, Parliament, Government, and local authorities that our main strength lies—our unity. Only together will we build a state where every community is part of our shared success,” emphasised the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
Speaking at a congressional panel, First Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oleksandr Korniienko emphasised that European integration must become a shared endeavor for the entire country.
“Ukraine begins with the community—and European integration must also begin with the community,” he stressed.
Oleksandr Korniienko noted that an important task is to strengthen local capacity: developing cooperation between the central government and communities, training specialists to work on international projects, and creating conditions for their work. After all, in practice, European integration consists of specific projects, and their implementation depends directly on people.
According to Oleksandr Korniienko, Ukraine is utilizing only a fraction of the opportunities available from the EU and its member states, so these resources need to be engaged more actively. He noted that special attention should be paid to financial mechanisms and support for frontline regions. At the same time, it is important to strengthen support for communities, especially those in areas of heightened security risks, in cooperation with international partners.