From 12th to 13th March, the capital city of the Lublin Voivodeship hosted the 5th Three Seas Local Government Congress, organised under the patronage of the President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda, who also opened it.
The event, which has been organised in Lublin for the past five years, strengthens ties between the Three Seas regions along the eastern border of the European Union and is aimed at the local governments of the 13 countries of the initiative. The Congress and the accompanying Economic Forum are important platforms for dialogue and cooperation in the areas of energy, transport and digital communications.
In view of the dynamically changing geopolitical situation, especially in the context of the war in Ukraine, the importance of the Three Seas Initiative has taken on added significance as a platform for supporting the Ukrainian regions.
On the second day of the Congress, a debate took place on "Rebuilding Ukraine – How to cooperate and help Ukraine’s regions to rebuild and prepare for European Union membership?"
During the discussion, the great role of the Interreg NEXT Programme Poland – Ukraine 2021-2027 was emphasised as an instrument supporting the establishment of cross-border partnerships and at the same time enabling the co-financing of joint Polish-Ukrainian ventures. The panellists unanimously agreed that not only cooperation at the governmental level, but also initiatives undertaken by regions, cities, municipalities located on both sides of the border play an important role on the path of Ukraine's preparation for EU membership.
The possibility of implementing projects within the Interreg NEXT Programme Poland – Ukraine contributes greatly to the development of the cross-border area, as well as providing special support to Ukrainian local authorities – said Zbigniew Wojciechowski, Chairman of the Committee on Regional Development and Foreign Cooperation of the Lublin Regional Assembly.
The President also advocated that, particularly in view of the current needs of the regions covered by the Programme, its budget should be significantly increased, thus enabling it to have a greater impact.
The 5th Three Seas Local Government Congress was an excellent opportunity to present the results of Polish-Ukrainian cross-border projects to date and the plans for further development of the borderland through two small project funds – COOPERATION and ENVIRONMENT – which will be launched in the current Programme. Representatives of the Lublin Regional Contact Point shared their knowledge about the Programme at the information and promotional stand, which was willingly visited by the Congress participants.
More about the event at the 5th Three Seas Local Government Congress
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