In Barcelona, the meeting was held to discuss interregional economic cooperation as a key factor of the recovery and economic growth of Ukraine.
The participants included representatives of such Ukrainian cities as Kryvyi Rih, Kharkiv, Sumy, Odesa region, the delegation from Dnipropetrovsk region was headed by Mykola Lukashuk, Chairman of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council. Spain was represented by Spanish diplomats, members of the European Parliament, representatives of the Catalan Government, and the Consul General of Ukraine in Barcelona, Artem Vorobiov.
Mykola Lukashuk informed about the current situation in Dnipropetrovsk region during the war and the horrific crimes committed by the russian occupation forces. He also reported on the consequences of enemy attacks on the region, the scale of destruction and emphasised the need for the reconstruction. He also paid special attention to the work of our medical and educational institutions in such difficult conditions.
We discussed key issues related to ensuring the energy independence of our regional hospitals, including our hospital named after Mechnykov, as well as strategies for the preservation and rebuilding of critical infrastructure in the region.
The participants of the meeting were introduced with 72 rebuilding projects of Dnipropetrovsk region and 32 investment projects that are being managed by the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Investment Agency. These projects are initiated by communities and businesses and are aimed at both expanding their own production and developing the infrastructure of the territories. These include projects in industry and energy, agriculture and construction materials, housing, logistics infrastructure and water supply.
Moreover, the Kingdom of Spain is an important trade partner of Dnipropetrovsk region. The high level of partnership relations is evidenced by the bilateral analysis of external activities, an overview of which is here.
The signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation between Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council and the Catalonia Trade and Investment Agency (ACCIO) became the basis for further cooperation.
The ACCIO promotes the competitiveness and growth of the Catalan business structure by promoting innovation, internationalisation and investment. In addition, ACCIO has a network of 40 international trade and investment offices around the world, providing access to more than 100 markets. Through these offices, the agency facilitates the establishment of networks between Catalan enterprises and other countries, advises on entering new markets and opening global business opportunities The Memorandum envisages a partnership to work together to restore and attract investment.
This is the first step towards the development of cooperation between Dnipropetrovsk region and Catalonia.
We are very grateful to the authorities of the Catalan region of Spain for their words of support and recognition of the contribution of Ukraine to the preservation of peace and protection of Europe.
