Two new US-Ukrainian municipal partnerships were launched at the end of August and the beginning of September. Gresham (Oregon) became a sister city of Chernivtsi, and Tampa (Florida) and Khmelnytskyi signed a five-year friendship agreement, opening up new opportunities for cooperation in the fields of economics, education, medicine and humanitarian projects.
This was reported by the UNWLA – 124 Branch (St. Pete, Florida) and the head of the Chernivtsi Regional Military Administration Ruslan Osypenko.
Thus, Chernivtsi officially became a sister city of the American city of Gresham (Oregon). Previously, the Ukrainian side held a meeting with the US delegation led by Gresham Mayor Travis Stovall.
According to the mayor of Chernivtsi, the new partnership opens up prospects for the development of direct contacts between communities and can become the basis for broader cooperation between the Chernivtsi region and the state of Oregon.
“I am confident that this twinning will open up new opportunities for direct contacts between communities, the implementation of joint initiatives and, most importantly, can become the beginning of the development of cooperation at the regional level – between the Chernivtsi region and the state of Oregon,” said Ruslan Osypenko.
Among the identified areas of cooperation are attracting investments, developing rehabilitation and veteran infrastructure, educational and cultural exchanges, developing business ties and projects in the field of energy sustainability. Separately, the parties agreed to work on establishing contacts with the business community of Greater Portland, medical and educational institutions in the United States.
At the same time, a Friendship City Agreement was signed in Tampa (Florida) between the cities of Tampa and Khmelnytskyi. The ceremony took place at the local city hall with the participation of Mayor Jane Castor and Mayor of Khmelnytskyi Oleksandr Symchyshyn.
The five-year agreement provides for cooperation in the following areas: culture, education, economic development, medicine and rehabilitation, humanitarian aid, infrastructure development and professional exchange of experience.
The UNWLA – 124 Branch (St. Pete, Florida) public organization called the signing of the document a historic event for the Ukrainian community in the region.
“We are not just building a partnership between two cities – we are building a bridge between Ukraine and the United States, between our communities and future generations,” the organization noted.
The organizers expressed special gratitude to the President of the Tampa Bay International Sister Cities Association, Alfred Goldberg, who helped establish the partnership, as well as to representatives of the Ukrainian community Olena Seis and Tetyana Chupryna for their many months of work on the implementation of the project. The contribution of the owner of the flower boutique Muse Tampa, Ani Luchkova, who organized the signing ceremony, was also noted.
“…such moments do not happen thanks to one signature, one meeting or one person. They become possible thanks to people… While Ukraine continues to fight for its freedom and its future, a city thousands of miles away has decided to reach out across the ocean and say: we stand with you, we believe in friendship and we want to create something lasting together. This partnership between sister cities is not just an agreement between two authorities. It is a bridge between people. A bridge for our children, our cultures, our businesses, our communities and future generations,” commented the event on Facebook by Tetyana Chupryna, a representative of the Ukrainian community.
The participants of the event emphasized that in the conditions of the ongoing war, such international partnerships take on special importance, strengthening ties between the Ukrainian and American communities and creating new opportunities for long-term cooperation.
Photo: Chernivtsi Regional Military Administration and UNWLA – 124 Branch – St. Pete, FL, Liliia Koval | Tampa Bay Area Photographer
Author: Inna Mikhno