The Ambassador of Ukraine Yaroslav Melnyk visited the city of Merelbeke–Melle (Flanders), that was hosting the Ukrainian delegation from the city of Kalush headed by Mayor Andriy Naida at the invitation of the Merelbeke-Melle community within the framework of the twinning partnership programme.

Addressing the Merelbeke–Melle community and the members of the Ukrainian delegation, Ambassador of Ukraine emphasized the importance of strengthening partnerships between Ukrainian and Belgian municipalities, highlighting their practical value:
“Partnership does not need to be defined by the size of a city, but rather by the strength of its compassion and the sincerity of its support. Even relatively small municipalities, when acting with purpose and humanity, can make an enormous impact: saving lives, enhancing resilience, and giving people hope. Such partnerships are living bridges between communities. They assist Ukrainian municipalities during wartime, support their recovery, and demonstrate genuine solidarity.”

During the joint meeting, the parties discussed ongoing initiatives of Ukrainian-Belgian inter-regional cooperation, as well as prospects for expanding projects supporting Ukrainian communities.

The programme of the visit of Ukrainian delegation included a wide range of meetings and presentations aimed at experience sharing in the fields of local governance, education, social services, healthcare, inclusion, and community development.

During the visit, representatives of the city of Kalush learnt the function of municipal structures, educational institutions and social services, visited the primary school “Centrum”, the Institute for Agricultural, Fisheries and Food Research (ILVO), the Zorgband Lemberge rehabilitation centre, municipal sports infrastructure, as well as a number of local companies and organizations.

A separate part of the visit was dedicated to meetings with advisory and community councils of Merelbeke–Melle, as well as to discussions on possible areas of future cooperation between the cities from educational exchanges to projects in the fields of urban development and social services.

Such formats of cooperation facilitate the adaptation of European governance practices and play an important role in strengthening the resilience of Ukrainian communities.