Chernihiv region’s delegation holds business meetings with German colleagues

The relevant statement was made by the head of the delegation, Chernihiv Regional State Administration First Deputy Head Kostiantyn Mehem, in a commentary to Ukrinform.

“We want to involve our businesses as much as possible, so that they establish contacts with their colleagues from Germany. All our efforts are currently aimed at establishing business ties between our regions,” Mehem told.

The delegation also included the leadership of Chernihiv Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the representatives of construction, food, healthcare, and other important sectors.

In addition to the current meetings, which were held at the Berlin representative office of the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, another visit had been scheduled for early October, directly to the above state. The delegation will include the representatives of the cultural community, healthcare sector, Chamber of Commerce and Industry, etc. In the near future, an online B2B meeting will be organized for companies to get to know each other better.

Mehem called Chernihiv entrepreneurs “invincible”, as many of them showed devotion to the defense of the native city amid the full-scale invasion, and now they continue to invest own funds in production, without waiting for reparations or other incentives.

“We do not see partnership with Germany as ‘giving’ or patronage. We want to build our relations as mutually beneficial, so that parties can exchange experience, developments. We do not want to be beggars, we want to be equal partners,” Mehem stressed.

The Memorandum of Partnership between the Chernihiv region and the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern was signed in online format in January 2024. Last spring a delegation from Mecklenburg paid a three-day visit to the Chernihiv region. The delegation members were introduced to local healthcare institutions, cultural life, and got acquainted with partners from the regional administration and relevant departments. In mid-summer 2024, Minister President of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Manuela Schwesig came to the Chernihiv region.

The region, which ended up under Russian occupation in the first weeks of the full-scale invasion, is now recovering. With the help of partners, more than 50% of damaged and destroyed objects were restored. Another 25% are now in the stage of restoration.

“We cannot postpone restoration until after the war. Our goal is to provide all the social and medical infrastructure, so that people can receive high-quality services right now, and this would encourage our residents to return from abroad,” Mehem concluded.

Among other things, the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is contributing to restoring and creating safe conditions for children.

A reminder that the German entities involved in the Chernihiv region’s reconstruction efforts at the federal level include the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

Photo: Olha Tanasiichuk