The First Vice-Speaker Oleksandr Korniienko took part in the First Forum of Starostas of Rivne region

The First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oleksandr Korniienko paid a working visit to Rivne region. During the visit, Oleksandr Korniienko took part in the First Forum of Rivne Region Starostas, visited the Bilokrynytsia territorial community and got acquainted with the activities of the Hoshcha Sausages enterprise. The events were also attended by MPs of Ukraine: the Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Policy and International Cooperation Arsenii Pushkarenko, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Administrative and Territorial Structure of the Committee on State Building, Local Self-Government, Regional Development and Urban Planning Vitalii Bezhin, the member of the Committee on State Building, Local Self-Government, Regional Development and Urban Planning Oleksandr Aliksiichuk, and member of the Committee on Agrarian and Land Resources Oleksandr Saliichuk.

“Together with the All-Ukrainian Association of Starostas, the relevant Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and Arsenii Pushkarenko, we launched this initiative –to meet in Ukrainian communities and communicate with starostas, to identify the necessary steps for both community development and building a strong and successful state,” said First Vice Speaker Oleksandr Korniienko.

According to him, during the First Forum of Starostas of the Rivne region, important legislative changes adopted over the past year concerning local self-government were discussed. Particular attention was paid to the continuation of the decentralisation reform, which contributes to strengthening local self-government, giving communities more opportunities for self-development. Improving services for people and creating better living conditions were discussed.

The participants of the event raised a number of important and strategic issues related to the domestic and foreign policy of our country. One of the main emphases was the issue of unity within the country and its defence in the international space, which underlined the importance of consolidating all forces to ensure stability and peace. At the same time, the need to promote the position that Ukraine must be protected at all levels was discussed, which is key in light of the current global challenges.

The Forum also reviewed important points of the ‘Internal Resilience Plan’ initiated by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi, which aim to strengthen internal stability and develop the national economy in a difficult external environment.

One of the topics that attracted particular attention was the support of Ukrainian business, with an indication of the programmes implemented. An important aspect of the European integration process was also discussed, including the role of communities on this path. Discussions focused on regional development projects and the implementation of veterans’ policy on the ground.

“We thank our starostas. They are a part of the feats of the Ukrainian people, their work lasts 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Without them, it would be impossible to achieve the goals set,” said Oleksandr Korniienko, awarding the starostas of Rivne region with the Ukrainian Parliament’s honours for their significant personal contribution to the socio-economic development of territorial communities, active social work, hard work and high professionalism.

During his working visit to the Rivne region, the First Vice-Speaker visited the Bilokrynytsia territorial community of the Rivne region and met with the head of the community, Tetiana Honcharuk. “This is a capable hromada that not only wants to develop, but is already doing so. Tetiana introduced us to the local Administrative Services Centre (ASC), which joined the Veteran Administrative Service Project. A ‘one-stop shop’ has been created for war veterans – they and their family members can get advice or apply for documents,’ said Oleksandr Korniienko. According to him, the community also has a Safety Centre with an interactive classroom for preschool children, which aims to develop important life skills, including how to act in a dangerous situation. Following the discussion of the future strategy of the Bilokrynytsia community and the issues the community has with the central government, the First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine noted the following: “I am pleased to see modern solutions for the community residents, concrete steps that are designed to improve their lives, as well as the active participation of our partners in projects to make the community successful. Thank you for the example of a truly successful Ukrainian hromada that is approaching the best European practices!”

At the end of his working visit to Rivne region, Oleksandr Korniienko visited Hoshcha Sausages and got acquainted with its production processes, modern technologies, European equipment and development strategy. “The company has installed a grid-tied solar power plant that produces 500 kW of power and 550 MWh of annual generation. This means the following: own electricity and great savings, which allows us to increase our capacity many times over. The domestic manufacturer continues to work, create jobs and move towards implementing the best solutions for prosperity,”  the First Vice Speaker summed up.