Ukraine, Switzerland to cooperate on regional development and recovery

Ukraine and Switzerland will jointly implement the project "Ukraine’s Cohesion and Regional Development" (UCORD), which is aimed at establishing effective cooperation between central and local authorities, business and the public in the issues of Ukraine’s recovery and regional development.

The relevant memorandum was signed by the Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Ukrinform reports, referring to the Ukrainian ministry’s press service.

"Using the potential and expert skills of Regional Development Agencies is one of the basic conditions in this context. The agencies are an inclusive platform where all parties can work together on the development of recovery plans, updating regional development strategies, etc.," said Oleksandr Kubrakov, Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine - Minister for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development.

According to the memorandum, the central government and local self-government bodies will cooperate with business on the issue of providing quality services in the sectors of water supply, sewerage and waste management.

The document also provides for the creation of a joint supervisory board to monitor the implementation of the project. This will contribute to the transparency and accountability of the use of funds aimed at carrying out the initiative.

As reported, Regional Development Agencies are non-governmental, non-profit institutions, the creation of which is envisaged by the Law of Ukraine "On the Basics of State Regional Policy."

Such agencies were established in all regions across Ukraine, except Kharkiv and Mykolaiv region. Work is currently underway to open agencies in these two regions.