Mykolaiv established a partnership with four European cities, in 2024 it is planned to partner with three more
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- Yuliia Boichenko
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8:30, 09 January, 2024
Mykolaiv and the Norwegian city of Kristiansand became partner cities, May 2023Mykolaiv established partnerships with four European cities in 2023 and plans to do so with three more in 2024.
This is stated in the report of the mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych based on the results of 2023, NikVesti reports.
Last year, Mykolaiv established a partnership with the cities of St. Helier (Jersey), Kristiansand (Norway), Aalborg (Denmark) and Durres (Albania). Also in 2023, the city signed a memorandum with the French association «Narbonne-Ukraine».
In 2024, the city authorities plan to sign a partnership with Scottish Glasgow, Finnish Kotka and Italian Bari.
«We are building separate communication with all cities and organizations. We are establishing cooperation at the level of various divisions. Of course, we also attract help from them for Mykolaiv,» Oleksandr Sienkevych said.
For example, St. Helier sent nine generators of different power for boiler houses and medical equipment to Mykolaiv. Christiansann donated six buses, transformer substations and medical supplies to the city. And «Narbonne-Ukraine» sent two ambulances, a bus, two passenger cars, bakery and medical equipment to the city.
We remind, the ambassador of the Kingdom of Denmark in Ukraine Ole Egberg Mikkelsen hopes that their successful experience of patronage over Mykolaiv will inspire other European countries to take on a similar role in supporting the frontline cities of Ukraine.
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 Zelenskyy 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.