On the participation of the National Congress of Ukrainian Associations in Italy delegation
in the international conference “Friends of Ukraine Forum 2025”
(4–6 May 2025, Bukovel, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, Ukraine)
On 4–6 May 2025 a delegation of the National Congress of Ukrainian Associations in Italy (CNAUI) took part in the international conference “Friends of Ukraine Forum 2025”, organised by the “Club of Mayors of Ukraine” and UMEDA – the Municipal Economic Development Agency of Ukraine, and held in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast (Ukraine).
The Friends of Ukraine Forum brought together more than 100 heads of urban and rural territorial communities from most of Ukraine’s oblasts; representatives of ministries, government agencies and regional administrations; executives and senior managers of international companies; and foreign delegations made up of local government officials and diaspora organisations.
The conference was opened by the First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Oleksandr Korniienko, with an address entitled “Ukraine, a Future EU Member: The Place of Communities in the Great Transition. Ukraine–EU Synergy: New Partnerships”. He stressed that the most effective and democratic foundation for European integration should be the development of cooperation between Ukraine and EU countries at the level of communities and local government. In this context, particular attention was paid to the participation in the international forum of delegations from Poland, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as our own 12-member delegation from Italy.
In their speeches and in answering questions, Members of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine V. Kreidenko, M. Zablotskyi, P. Frolov and D. Solomchuk spoke about partnerships between government, business and volunteers in rebuilding Ukraine, about building solidarity with friendly countries, and about the most successful partnerships.
The Forum featured engaging and substantive talks and discussions involving leaders of local government and central government bodies of Ukraine, as well as representatives of international organisations, civil society associations and consultancy firms.
Throughout the afternoon of the Forum’s second working day, the National Congress of Ukrainian Associations in Italy presented the work of the Congress’s associations and departments, and arranged live links and online presentations of successful partnerships with mayors and representatives of Ukrainian and Italian local authorities.
Presentations and briefings on behalf of CNAUI were given in the conference hall by Lara Levchun, Vadym Sydiachenko, Oksana Kolotynska, Mario Fontana, Olha Muliak, Bohdana Palermo, Elena Galibatti (Municipality of Seregno), Yulia Muts and Nicola Losito (City of Bari, Apulia).
Eduardo Pagnini, Marco Zuffanelli (Manageritalia) and Stanislav Shevchenko addressed the participants online.
The hybrid in-person and online video links organised by CNAUI, sharing the experience and plans of partnerships between Ukrainian and Italian communities, drew enormous interest from the audience:
- · Andrii Smahliuk (Mayor of Kremenets, Ternopil Oblast) and Domenico Alfieri (Mayor of Paliano);
- · Roman Kaznovetskyi (Mayor of Lanivtsi, Ternopil Oblast) and Alessandro Lavanga (Mayor of Mondragone);
- · Oksana Kolotynska (CNAUI representative) and Samuele Consonni (Mayor of Verano Brianza)
Following a series of meetings, negotiations and consultations on the sidelines of the international conference “Friends of Ukraine Forum 2025”, CNAUI President Lara Levchun signed 22 memorandums of cooperation with regional, city and town administrations and with civil society organisations. In particular, productive meetings were held and memorandums signed with the Chairman of the Chernivtsi Regional Council, Oleksii Boiko, and the Deputy Head of the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional State Administration, Khrystyna Torhan, and further cooperation was agreed with representatives of the Chernihiv and Cherkasy Regional State Administrations. Memorandums were also signed with the mayors of Rivne, Trostianets, Bar, Yahotyn, Uman, Bakhmach, Staryi Sambir, Yaremche and other cities. Particular attention was also given to cooperation with the leaders of the temporarily occupied city of Enerhodar and of the Nikolske (Donetsk Oblast), Novooleksandrivka (Zaporizhzhia Oblast) and Dolmativka (Kherson Oblast) communities, with whom a special format of cooperation is being developed.
Our Congress delegation’s participation in such a representative international forum was an important step towards involving the Ukrainian diaspora in European integration and strengthening cooperation between Ukraine and Italy in the context of rebuilding our homeland.
The presentations, online links and signed memorandums have laid the foundation for partnerships between local authorities and communities in Ukraine and Italy, which we will continue to develop and give substance to, drawing on the experience and resources of the Congress’s diaspora associations.
Through close cooperation with local authorities and international partners, CNAUI is creating new opportunities for business, education and cultural exchange. The Forum also served as a platform for discussing concrete mechanisms for involving the Ukrainian diaspora in infrastructure reconstruction programmes, social initiatives and international support for Ukraine’s regions.
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