Work has begun on establishing a Local Democracy Agency in Chernivtsi (LDA Chernivtsi). Practical steps towards launching the Agency were discussed during the visit of Antonella Valmorbida, Secretary General of ALDA – the European Association for Local Democracy, to the city. The working visit to Chernivtsi took place during the City Day celebrations and the Chernivtsi Investment Forum.
During the visit, the ALDA Secretary General met with Mykhailo Pavliuk, Deputy Head of the Chernivtsi Regional Council, and Roman Klichuk, Mayor of Chernivtsi. Antonella Valmorbida also joined the official opening ceremony of the Chernivtsi City Day celebrations and participated in the Chernivtsi Investment Forum. The meetings were part of a broader dialogue on developing Chernivtsi’s international partnerships, supporting local democracy, and engaging European partners in cooperation with Ukrainian communities.
During the meeting with Roman Klichuk, Mayor of Chernivtsi, the parties discussed further cooperation, community recovery, the development of inter-municipal partnerships, the establishment of a Local Democracy Agency in Chernivtsi, and future joint initiatives.
As Antonella Valmorbida noted, the partnership between Chernivtsi and ALDA already has a history. The city is part of the Association’s network, while opportunities to deepen cooperation were discussed, in particular, during the Ukraine Recovery Conference URC 2026 in Gdańsk.
One of the key topics of the visit was the establishment of a Local Democracy Agency in Chernivtsi. The initiative is planned to be implemented with the support of the French Development Agency.
“The future LDA should become a platform bringing together local and international partners, supporting the development of joint projects, mobilising funding, and strengthening partnerships between Chernivtsi and European cities and organisations,” Antonella Valmorbida said.
During the working meeting, participants were presented with the experience of Local Democracy Agencies in Ukraine and other countries. The network currently comprises 19 Agencies. In particular, participants discussed the experience of the LDA in Mariupol, which was relocated with the support of Gdańsk following the start of the full-scale war, as well as the Agency in Dnipro, which was opened in 2015.
The LDA model involves not only partner contributions, but also the joint development of projects, fundraising, and the search for additional sources of funding. Among the potential areas of activity discussed during the meeting were culture, education, decentralised cooperation, digitalisation, environmental protection, civil society development, and citizen participation.
The Agency is also seen as a tool for expanding international cooperation and making use of opportunities offered by European programmes, including Erasmus and Interreg.
During the meeting, representatives of Chernivtsi outlined the city’s needs and expectations regarding the future Local Democracy Agency. The discussions also covered economic changes caused by the full-scale war, the relocation of businesses, the region’s new logistical role, the development of the industrial park, and production capacities.
At the same time, at the current stage of cooperation, significant attention is expected to be given to the institutional component, engagement with civil society, and the implementation of thematic projects. The future LDA could become an additional platform for communication between the city and European communities, organisations, and other international partners.