On 23 July 2025 a large-scale live link-up between Ukraine and Italy, “Zemliatstva of Unity 99+1”, brought the two countries together to deepen partnerships between their municipalities.
This landmark event marked a new era of people-to-people diplomacy, in which horizontal ties between communities have become a key tool for strengthening international cooperation. The participation of more than 90 representatives of public authorities from Ukraine reflects a high level of trust and a strong interest in carrying out joint projects with Italian municipalities.
CNAUI currently represents more than 100 Ukrainian state administrations, acting as an ambassador for dialogue, development and intercultural exchange.
The link-up presented:
- the members of the Zemliatstvo (an association of people from the same Ukrainian region): representatives of city councils and regional state administrations, as well as CNAUI curators from various regions of Ukraine;
- a list of Italian cities recommended as potential partners for Ukrainian communities;
- procedures developed by the Department of International Cooperation for building effective ties between municipalities.
The Congress has set itself an ambitious goal: to establish 100 active partnerships by the end of 2025.
Given the growing interest and limited resources, each Zemliatstvo curator works independently, prioritising cities that have already given presentations, expressed their readiness to cooperate or applied to international grant programmes.
CNAUI thanks all the administrations for taking part and invites them to take the next steps together on the path to partnership between Ukraine and Italy.
“This link-up is not just a platform for communication; it is a living system of trust between communities. We did not merely present a map of opportunities — we created a living network of partners ready to build joint projects in the name of sustainable development and European unity.”
“Our department is working on the practical infrastructure of partnerships between municipalities. The cooperation procedures we have developed take into account the needs of Ukrainian communities, the requirements of the Italian side and international grant opportunities. The Zemliatstvo is not just an association — it is a platform for action.”
“Twinning between communities is a concrete form of solidarity. We are glad that more and more Ukrainian communities are taking the initiative and showing that they are ready to present their models of cooperation. It is precisely these communities — active and open — that are the first to receive recommendations and support for setting up partnerships.”
