CNAUI becomes an Associate Partner of the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine

The CNAUI Department of International Cooperation, led by Oksana Rohova, has been working systematically, with great professionalism and dedication, to build strong bridges of cooperation between Ukraine and Italy.

Thanks to the closely coordinated work of the Department’s team, strategic partnerships have been built with Ukrainian regions, with cities, and with Italian and international organisations.

This successful cooperation has established the Congress as a respected international organisation, capable of delivering large-scale Italian-Ukrainian projects at the highest institutional level.

This consistent and inspired work has now been rewarded with the highest level of international recognition.

On 24 August 2026, the National Congress of Ukrainian Associations in Italy (CNAUI) officially became an Associate Partner of the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine.

The decision was confirmed in a letter from the Secretariat of the Alliance and the European Committee of the Regions (CoR).

Comments from the CNAUI leadership

Lara Levchun, President of the National Congress of Ukrainian Associations in Italy (CNAUI):

“Being granted Associate Partner status in the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine is a significant recognition of our work and an important expression of trust from the European institutions. For the Congress, it is an opportunity to amplify the voice of Ukrainian communities in Italy and to have a direct say in Ukraine’s recovery. We are convinced that decentralised cooperation and direct links between municipalities are the most effective tool for the swift reconstruction and European integration of our country.”

Oksana Rohova, Head of the CNAUI Department of International Cooperation

“Our Department is ready to get down to practical work within the Alliance. We have a powerful tool in the ‘Brotherhood Across Borders’ platform, which has already helped to conclude dozens of memoranda between Italian and Ukrainian communities. As a partner of the Alliance, we will focus on bringing in new partnerships and diaspora expertise, and on practical capacity building projects for Ukrainian cities and towns, helping them prepare for the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC).”

About the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine

The Alliance was founded in June 2022 by the European Committee of the Regions together with associations of cities and regions from Ukraine and the EU, to coordinate efforts to rebuild Ukraine and to support its accession to the EU.

The Alliance’s main areas of work

• Decentralised recovery: Involving local and regional authorities in planning and implementing reconstruction projects, including within the framework of the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC).
• Inter-municipal partnership: Supporting direct cooperation, partnerships and the exchange of experience between communities in the EU and Ukraine (the TIPS4Ukraine and European Partnerships Hub projects).
• Principles: Commitment to transparency, to the “Build Back Better” principle and to the European Charter of Local Self-Government.

Contacts for enquiries and cooperation

• 📩 Department of International Cooperation dip.coop.int@congressouait.com
• 🌐 Official website: congressouait.com