Contact Ukraine programme with international participation – Lviv and Brno confirmed partnership

Among them also was Andriy Ivanovych Sadovyi, mayor of the partner city of Lviv: "It is a great honour for me to be allowed to speak to you. This is my first visit to Brno during the Russian-Ukrainian war and today we have entered into an important agreement between Lviv and Brno, making our cities "twins". Lviv is the capital of culture, and the Russian invasion has completely changed our lives. Nowadays, we have a giant humanitarian centre and every day we treat wounded civilian children, women, and elderly people. We have built a unique ecosystem of humanity and growth," he said and presented the ecosystem in an impressive way in the final video presentation.  

"We masterminded and implemented the Contact Ukraine program last autumn, and will go on with it for as long as it takes. The purpose of the programme is to enable Ukrainian cities and regions to contact Czech partners and Czech entrepreneurs and we believe that this will deepen cooperation between Ukraine and the Czech Republic," introduced Martin Pospíšil, Director of the European Countries Department at the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Ukraine appreciated the opportunity for presentation

Jan Kubata, CEO of BVV Trade Fairs Brno, also greeted the attending international audience: "The idea, which originated at the Ministry of Industry and Trade and has been developed over a period of several tens of months, is being implemented together with our activities into a truly significant project. Today, we are combining it into a synergy with a smart solution to problems that certainly burden not only Ukrainian but also Czech cities. We believe that this project, which is designed to strengthen economic and industrial cooperation between Ukraine and the Czech Republic, will continue. And BVV Trade Fairs Brno will be ready to support these projects in its expo halls."

Vitalii USATYI, Head of the Office of the Embassy of Ukraine in the Czech Republic, praised the organisers' efforts: "It is extremely important that the Czech company has provided exhibition space with the opportunity to present the potential of many Ukrainian regions and cities. I am sure that this meeting is a good platform for establishing new contacts and discussing latest issues of development and management of modern cities. There is active cooperation running between our befriended countries at all levels. The Czech Republic has been supporting Ukraine since the beginning of the war, showing political solidarity, providing extensive military assistance and humanitarian aid."