In Ivano-Frankivsk, at a meeting of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with representatives of all mountain territorial communities in the Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Chernivtsi, and Zakarpattia regions to discuss issues requiring prompt solutions.
The meeting was joined via videoconference by Prime Minister of Ukraine Sergii Koretskyi, Minister for Recovery, Infrastructure and Transport Mykola Kalashnyk, Minister of Finance Sergii Marchenko, Minister of Economy and Environment Oleksandr Kravchenko, Minister of Education and Science Andrii Butenko, Minister of Health Viktor Liashko, and Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Taras Vysotskyi.
The Head of State thanked community leaders for their work. The President emphasized that relocation, including the relocation of businesses and industrial production from the temporarily occupied territories, is an important factor in the development of the Carpathian region.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that the first “Carpathian Integration Initiative” Economic Summit is to take place in September. Eight countries with the Carpathian Mountains on their territory will be represented at the summit.
“I thank the leaders who have already personally confirmed their participation to me. These are countries that have the Carpathians. This was our initiative. I am very proud that even during the war we found such a dimension. It is about the economy, security, the environment, and investment. We will also invite some guests and business representatives from the Middle East to discuss investment in the Carpathians,” the Head of State said.
More than 500 business representatives from different countries will attend the summit. That is why, according to the President, it is important to begin preparing for the event now and work on attracting investment during the summit. It is also important for community leaders to take part in the preparations and invite representatives of local authorities from other countries to the summit.
“It is very important that not only leaders meet. That is no longer enough. Leaders give the summit political weight, but it is very important for communities from these countries to meet directly. Because communities also attract business. Communities know what is happening on the ground. A leader knows their country, but a local community still knows the main challenges on the ground,” the President said.
According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the summit is expected to include the signing of agreements, investment arrangements, and the exchange of experience in security, energy protection, and food security – areas in which partners want to learn from Ukraine.
The President also noted the importance of the Tysiachovesna cultural initiative, as it is about creating independent Ukrainian content and countering Russian propaganda. Project pitch sessions are currently taking place in the Ivano-Frankivsk region, featuring initiatives from various fields of contemporary and traditional Ukrainian art.
“Nothing on this scale has ever been done before. Never. This is a major program. I very much hope it will run for five to ten years. Because it is precisely thanks to such a period of time that we can preserve Ukraine’s school of art and bring back to Ukraine those artists who have been scattered by time, life, and war. And we can already see it: there is a huge number of applications – three thousand applications, meaning three thousand content ideas, of which about two thousand have now made it to the final stage and will go through the selection process,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Community leaders also raised the need to update tax legislation in the forestry sector and regarding the tourist tax in order to strengthen the financial capacity of communities and eliminate their dependence on subsidies, as well as the need for state support with flood-prevention measures and additional favorable conditions for business development. In particular, they discussed the possibility of creating a comprehensive development program for mountain communities. The President emphasized that the government must develop priority solutions within a month.
“You should be receiving revenue from this. You should be looking after it and preserving our forests, our Carpathians. And you should certainly benefit from this – from tourism, from taxes – and develop. Because your people who live here should see what supports their livelihoods, what allows you to build roads, and so on,” the Head of State added.
They also discussed the development of road infrastructure, financing, providing communities with all-terrain buses and medical transport, and access to school education. The President instructed the Prime Minister and the ministers of finance, community development, and infrastructure to work with communities to assess the capacity of local budgets and conduct a logistics audit so that public services and institutions are accessible to everyone in Ukraine, including in remote mountain regions.
“The task is absolutely clear and specific. By the time of the Carpathian Initiative, there will be a clear report and plan,” Sergii Koretskyi said.
Community leaders thanked Volodymyr Zelenskyy for his continued support and involvement in community issues, road and bridge construction projects, and the development of veteran support and rehabilitation.
