French National Assembly MP Frédéric Petit paid an official visit to the Vinnytsia region, where he met with the leadership of the Vinnytsia Regional Council, Vinnytsia City Council, the Vinnytsia Regional Military Administration, the Vinnytsia Regional Association of Local Self-Government Bodies, heads of municipalities, and representatives of civil society. The discussions focused on strengthening Ukrainian-French interregional and municipal cooperation. ALDA Vinnytsia played an active role in organising the visit.
Key topics included expanding partnerships between the Vinnytsia region and French regions and municipalities, implementing the G.R.A.I.N. project, introducing the European LEADER approach in Ukraine, strengthening the role of local self-government in community recovery and development, and exploring opportunities for Ukrainian municipalities to participate in future European Union programmes.
“Mr Frédéric Petit’s visit to the Vinnytsia region is an important demonstration of France’s commitment to supporting the development of Ukrainian regions and local self-government. It also provided an opportunity to showcase the results of many years of Ukrainian-French cooperation, ranging from humanitarian assistance to strategic partnerships in healthcare, local democracy, youth policy, territorial development, and the implementation of international projects,” said Olha Oliinyk, Chair of the ALDA Vinnytsia.
According to her, the G.R.A.I.N. project, which was one of the central topics of the visit, opens up new opportunities for municipalities in the Vinnytsia region to cooperate with French territories and to implement the European LEADER approach for rural development.
“We also presented the cooperation model that ALDA Vinnytsia has been developing together with Ukrainian and French partners, bringing together public authorities, local governments, municipalities, and civil society around joint international initiatives focused on decentralised cooperation, local democracy, and European integration,” Olha Oliinyk added.
During his visit, Frédéric Petit also visited the Vinnytsia Regional Children’s Rehabilitation Medical Centre, where one of the flagship projects implemented under the intergovernmental grant agreement between France and Ukraine is currently underway.
The programme also included a meeting at the “City of Meanings” Hub, dedicated to the role of civil society, local democracy, and partnerships between Ukrainian and French organisations.
Representatives of ALDA Vinnytsia noted that the visit marked another important step towards strengthening long-term Ukrainian-French partnerships between regions, municipalities, and civil society organisations.