«Facilitates interaction with foreign partners,» — a recovery and development office is opened in Mykolaiv

On Monday, November 6, as part of the activities of the Regional Office of International Cooperation (ROIC) in Mykolaiv, the opening of the Office of Reconstruction and Development took place.

This was reported in the press service of Mykolayiv RMA.

The head of RMA Vitalii Kim noted that the opening of the office will facilitate the process of communication and interaction with foreign partners.

The event was attended by representatives of RMA, regional council, and the President's Office. The foreign party is the Danish ambassador to Ukraine Ole Egberg Mikkelsen and the permanent representative of the UN Development Program in Ukraine Jako Silje.

«As part of the meeting, the parties discussed the specifics of coordinating activities for the restoration and development of communities and territories of the Mykolaiv region, their urgent needs and existing problems, as well as the specifics of the work of the ROMS in Mykolaiv,» — the message reads.

Vitaliy Kim noted that cooperation with the Kingdom of Denmark and UNDP in Ukraine began since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, and thanks to their support, it was possible to open such a powerful platform for interaction as the Office of Reconstruction and Development.

— The Office of Reconstruction and Development greatly facilitates the process of communication and interaction with our foreign partners. Everything we have already managed to do to improve the lives of the residents of the city and region is the result of your care and desire to help. So I want to thank you for your comprehensive support of our region, — he added.

For their part, Ole Egberg Mikkelsen and Jako Silje assured that the intensity of support will only increase as the day of victory approaches, which is expected not only by Ukrainians.

The beginning of Denmark's cooperation with Mykolaiv

In March 2022, the president of Ukraine, speaking in front of the Danish parliament, called on the country to take «leadership» over Mykolaiv after the end of the full-scale war unleashed by Russia.

At the end of August last year, the mayor of Mykolaiv, Oleksandr Sienkevych, and the Minister of International Development of Denmark, Flemming Moller Mortensen, signed a memorandum of cooperation. The memorandum envisages joint work on the formation of reconstruction projects and the involvement of investors from various countries in the restoration of Mykolaiv.

In January 2023 , a meeting of representatives of Denmark and Ukraine took place in Mykolaiv regarding the planning of further restoration of the city.

On July 3, the Minister of the Kingdom of Denmark announced a new aid package for the Mykolaiv region.

In September, after a meeting with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the opening of the office of the Danish Embassy in Ukraine in Mykolaiv.

Postwar reconstruction of Mykolaiv

Currently, it is known that about 60% of the aid that Denmark sends to Ukraine goes to Mykolaiv and the Mykolaiv region.

At the annual forum of the publishing house «Legal Practice» Business & Legal Infrastructure Forum, the ambassador of Denmark to Ukraine announced the vision of the post-war reconstruction of Mykolaiv with friendly conditions for pedestrians and bicycle infrastructure.

While in Mykolaiv, the ambassador explained that after the end of the full-scale war, Denmark would help Mykolaiv to restore and modernize its shipbuilding capacity.

In addition, Denmark will rebuild the Lyceum named after Mykola Arkas while preserving its authentic appearance. As of September 2023, Ukrainian architects presented Ole Egberg Mikkelsen with reconstruction options.

Another educational institution that the Danes will rebuild is Admiral Makarov National Shipbuilding University (NUK). The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Denmark to Ukraine Ole Egberg Mikkelsen is sure that this will revive Mykolaiv as a «city of shipbuilding».

The ambassador also supported the idea of creating a Danish quarter or park in Mykolaiv, but today this issue remains at the idea stage.