On Friday 31 March, ECR's First Vice-President Władysław Ortyl and Deputy Marshal of the Podlaskie region Sebastian Łukaszewicz participated in the Poland-Ukraine Partnership Forum in Lviv hosted by the Regional Governor Maksym Kozytskyy.

The discussion focused on defining joint project activities within the framework of the Interreg NEXT Poland-Ukraine Programme and establishing the scope of cross-border cooperation in the context of Russian military aggression. 

Marshal Wladyslaw Ortyl summarized the initiatives undertaken with Lviv region in the last year, which mainly focused on providing humanitarian aid to refugees and internally displaced Ukrainians sheltered in bordering regions. The Marshal stressed the importance of intensifying cross-border cooperation in the context of the future reconstruction of Ukraine and strengthening economic cooperation. The event also served as an opportunity for the ECR members to express solidarity with the hosts and the people of Ukraine, in general, by assuring them of the support Poland's regions will continue to provide. 

"We are already talking with the Governor of the Lviv Oblast about structured training programmes for the Ukrainian local administration. These trainings will be conducted in Podkarpackie and other Polish regions and they will cover every stage of the implementation of EU funds and will allow for the acquired know-how to be directly implemented in regional institutions across Ukraine", the Marshal said.

"Podlaskie is also ready to boost our regional cooperation with partners from Ukraine" – stressed Mr Łukaszewicz.