On the occasion of the 3rd International Summit of Cities and Regions in Kyiv, the City of Montpellier and the City of Mykolaiv formalized their partnership on June 6th with the signing of a memorandum of friendship and cooperation. This new Franco-Ukrainian partnership is part of the MistoMatch program, which aims to develop concrete, human, and sustainable cooperation between French and Ukrainian communities.
The memorandum was signed by Oleksandr Syenkevych, Mayor of Mykolaiv, and Clare Hart, Vice President of Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole, representing Michaël Delafosse, Mayor of Montpellier, without whom the creation of this partnership would not have been possible. It provides for strengthened collaboration in several strategic areas: education, culture, youth, sustainable development, the local economy, and urban resilience. One of the common challenges identified between the two cities is the port dimension, essential for their reconstruction and economic development.
Mykolaiv, a major port city with a population of 430,000 located on the Black Sea, distinguished itself from the very beginning of the Russian aggression by its fierce resistance, playing a strategic role in the defense of the country’s south. A major center for shipbuilding, mechanical engineering, and river and maritime transport, it is also a key player in agriculture, higher education, with several renowned technical universities, and culture. Before the 2022 invasion, Mykolaiv had committed to a transition to a more diversified economy based on innovation, digital technology, and sustainable development.
Just a few days after the signing, Montpellier is already putting its commitment into concrete action by welcoming, very soon, along with the Occitanie region, to La Grande-Motte, a group of children from Mykolaiv for a respite stay, organized in partnership with the 3MTKD Sport Culture Social.
Many thanks to Clémentine Papa, Director of External Action and International Relations at Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole, and to Ihor Filippov, Cooperation Advisor for Mykolaiv, for their decisive role in preparing and implementing this cooperation.
And above all, we would like to thank Clare Hart for her presence in Kyiv, her support for the Ukrainian people, her dynamism, and her unwavering commitment to the European values of solidarity, local democracy, and the reconstruction of Ukraine.
Thank you to all the elected officials, partners, and stakeholders involved in Mykolaiv, Montpellier, Kyiv, and throughout Europe for bringing this exemplary cooperation to life.
