Vinnytsia has close and long-term ties with cities of different countries. Because of the situation created by the Russian aggression, the mayors of these cities express their support for Ukrainians and Vinnytsia residents.

An official letter from the Mayor of Panevėžys, Lithuania, Rytis Mykolas Račkauskas, to Vinnytsia Mayor Serhii Morhunov said: "Following the historic uprising known as Euromaidan the Ukrainian реорlе made their final choice for integration with modern Europe. Since then they рау а high price to bе free, to bе democratic and to choose their own path. We know Vinnytsia as а city that actively works to cherish European values and is leading other Ukrainian cities along the chosen European pathway. We reaffirm our strong and full support and wish to see Vinnytsia in а democratic, independent, united and prosperous Ukraine."

On February 17, Panevėžys City Council (Lithuania) decided to declare its support for Vinnytsia and Ukrainians. The document reads: "City Council of Panevėžys, taking into account the unprecedented deployment of Russian troops at the border of Ukraine; cherishing close partnership between Panevėžys City and Vinnytsia City which enhaces versatile cooperation between both cities, desiring to support Ukrainian independence, sovereignity and territorial integrity with its internationally recognized borders; expresses solidarity with the Municipality of the partner city and people of Vinnytsia and Ukraine. Слава Україні!"

Also on February 17, an official letter arrived from Tarnów (Poland) from Mayor Roman Ciepiela. It reads: "When Ukraine declared independence on August 24th, 1991, Poland consistently supported it. We were the first to recognize the independence of our eastern neighbours, supporting their libertarian, democratic and pro-Western ambitions. I have invariably been of the opinion that Ukraine should be a free and sovereign state."

In addition, the Mayor of Tarnów (Poland) Roman Ciepiela said: “We are full of faith that Vinnytsia currently is and will continue to stay the city of free people. The long-term cooperation between our cities does not allow me to remain indifferent to the fate of our Ukrainian friends. I remain open to talks about possible forms of assistance that we can offer as a local government partner in the event of a conflict eventually occurring."

Representatives of the twin cities of Birmingham (USA) and Peterborough (Great Britain) also expressed their support and readiness to help.

The event was attended by Mayor Serhii Morhunov, Head of Vinnytsia Regional State Administration Serhii Borzov, and Chairman of Vinnytsia Regional Council Viacheslav Sokolovyi, as well as community representatives from across the region.

"If we consider the eight-year history of all the events taking place in Ukraine, it is the Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian army that have shown solidarity and unity. In the face of the external threat of an attack by Russia, we must all unite, and do so in order to preserve the state and protect the borders. Most importantly, we will show our foreign partners that we are united as never before in order to preserve the territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine," said Serhii Morhunov, head of Vinnytsia community.

The Head of Vinnytsia Regional State Administration Serhii Borzov noted that the most important thing now is to consolidate the society. "We have to unite around Ukraine, around the threat. We must unite around our military, our desire to be free, independent, and for our next generations to live in an independent and prosperous Ukraine," said Serhii Borzov.

The Chairman of Vinnytsia Regional Council Viacheslav Sokolovyi stressed that in this difficult time for the country, Ukrainians must be confident and determined. "Today's manifestation of people's desire to be consolidated and united is a signal to all politicians that people are ready to unite, and be united politicians," said Viacheslav Sokolovyi.

“The essence of the project is the exchange of experience between German and Ukrainian cities on the implementation of transformations of public spaces. Communication will take place online and offline. The main topic of the meetings was integrated urban development based on the renewed Leipzig Charter of Local Self-Government. That is, our projects will be considered through the prism of the principles of integrated development enshrined in this Charter," said Nazar Kovalenko, Deputy Director of the Institute for Urban Development.

The first online meeting of the project participants took place on February 3. The roadmap for 2022-2023 was discussed there. In March there will be an online acquaintance with German partner cities (Leipzig, Mannheim, Freiburg and Bottrop). Offline discussion of projects will take place in late March in Lviv.

“An important component in the work of the Institute for Urban Development is the study of international experience and refinement of strategic projects for Vinnytsia community in cooperation with foreign consultants and experts. This is especially true for spatial solutions, as they need to take into account safety and environmental issues, convenience for all users, attractiveness of the territory and long-term use. We are sincerely glad to have the opportunity to be in the network Dialogues for Urban Change (D4uC) and to present and improve the Vinnytsia Mile project," said the director of Institute for Urban Development Valentyna Tkachuk.

In addition to Vinnytsia, Chernivtsi, Lviv, and Kyiv are participating in the Dialogues for Urban Change (D4UC) project. The cooperation is implemented by the German Society for International Cooperation (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH) on behalf of the BMWSB.

The main advantages of involvement in EGD are the use of new mechanisms and the implementation of innovative ideas to improve urban space and improve the environmental quality of life, attract green finance and investment, access to EU markets and more.

Vinnytsia became the first city in Ukraine to declare a Green Deal. Today, during the session of Vinnytsia City Council, the Declaration on the Green Deal of Vinnytsia was signed with the participation of the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine, the Government Office for Coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration and Ukrainian parliamentarians.

"Today is a significant event for the Vinnytsia community – we are the first in Ukraine to join the European Green Deal. The basis for the implementation of the Green Deal of Vinnytsia were the principles of the EU initiative European Green Deal, adopted in 2019. Their goal is to make Europe the world's first climate-neutral continent by 2050. The government has announced the intention of our country to join the European Green Deal, work is underway to write a Roadmap for Ukraine. However, Ukrainian cities at the local level are already moving in this direction, and I hope that they will adopt the relevant declarations and programs," said Vinnytsia Mayor Serhii Morhunov.

The Mayor added that the Vinnytsia Green Deal is a logical continuation of the community's long-term plans for green development, enshrined in both the Vinnytsia Integrated Development Concept until 2030 and Strategy 3.0. In particular, the priorities of the Community Development Strategy for the next 9 years are "Green Economy and Smart Specialization" and "Accessible, Safe and Ecologically Friendly Environment".

The key areas for the implementation of the EGD, adopted by the European Commission in 2019, are climate change prevention and adaptation, biodiversity, zero pollution, industrial policy, sustainable nutrition and green agriculture, waste management, sustainable and smart mobility, energy and energy efficiency.

"Vinnytsia has already achieved certain results in green development. In 2015, our city was the first in Eastern Europe to receive the European Energy Award, later in 2019, we confirmed it. And we are working to get the golden European energy award. In addition, today at the session we decided to purchase environmentally friendly transport – 10 electric buses. Also this year, we expect to receive Swiss trams Tram-2000, which will also significantly improve the environmental component of urban mobility. We are quite active in developing cycling infrastructure. We strive to attract international experts and financial resources for the implementation of green projects that we have plans. I am convinced that this is very important for every Vinnytsia family. I think that with the joint efforts of the European Union, the Government, the Parliament, the territorial community, the region, we will be able to move systematically in this direction," said Serhii Morhunov.

The intentions and goals stated in the Declaration will be continued in the Roadmap of measures for the implementation of the Green Deal of Vinnytsia until 2030. The roadmap will serve as a guide for the Vinnytsia community in the direction of green transformation and will help attract green investment, modernization, innovation and digitalization of the community.

Ambassador of the European Union to Ukraine Matti Maasikas congratulated Vinnytsia residents on the proclamation of the Green Deal. The diplomat joined today's session of the City Council via online communication. The Head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine addressed the audience in Ukrainian.

"Friends, I am glad to take part in this event. It is a great honor for me. On a highly urbanized continent such as Europe, cities, towns and citizens play a key role in responding to climate change. I am pleased that your city and people are actively working on the green transformation of the community. Since the announcement of the European Green Deal in 2019, it sets the direction for transformational change. This is a new EU growth strategy. It reflects the idea of the transition of the whole economy to a green economy. It is gratifying to note that Ukraine shares these hopes. Another EU initiative, the Green City Accord, is a movement of European mayors working to make their cities cleaner and healthier. By signing the agreement, the cities are committed to addressing key environmental management issues. Not only national or local authorities, but every citizen plays a role in mitigating the effects of climate change. That is why your initiative is extremely important, it completely coincides with the initiatives launched by the European Union. Let me congratulate you on this initiative, which brings Vinnytsia to a leading position in terms of Ukraine's green transition, and can inspire and accelerate green transition at the local level. I would like to call on other cities in Ukraine to follow your example," said Matti Maasikas, Ambassador of the European Union to Ukraine.

Oleh Bondarenko, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management, also congratulated Vinnytsia residents on the proclamation of the Green Deal.

"Vinnytsia's signing of the Declaration on the Green Deal shows that Vinnytsia City Council is one of the flagships on the path of green transition. Undoubtedly, the issue of the transition of Europe and Ukraine to a climate-neutral economy and public life is on the agenda of both the Verkhovna Rada and the Government. The role of communities in the process of green economic transition cannot be underestimated. All the components presented in this document are relevant to the EU Green Deal and deserve attention. I hope that in a few years you will invite us to evaluate the implemented measures. And I am sure that we will appreciate them and will be happy together that Vinnytsia is a leading city in this direction, and we will offer other cities of our country to follow your example," said Oleh Bondarenko.

Yuliia Ovchynnykova, another representative of this committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, addressed the deputies and Vinnytsia residents. She is a well-known scientist, candidate of biological sciences, whose scientific activity is related to Donetsk National University named after Vasyl Stus in Vinnytsia.

"The signing of the Declaration on the Green Deal, as well as the implementation of the Roadmap once again shows that Vinnytsia is a real European city that is moving in the European direction and invests in all spheres of life an environmental component. I am confident that Vinnytsia will not only implement all the principles of sustainable development, but will also become an example for all cities of Ukraine," Yuliia Ovchynnykova said.

The Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Olha Stefanishyna also praised Vinnytsia's desire for transformation with an emphasis on the environmental component: "I noticed that the Vinnytsia Green Deal was a logical continuation of the community's long-term sustainable development plans that had been developed earlier. I am grateful to the leadership of the city and region for attracting international partners and experts. I sincerely congratulate Vinnytsia with such a wonderful achievement."

The event was also attended by experts of the resource-analytical center Society and Environment Nataliia Andrusevych from Lviv and Svitlana Romanko from Ivano-Frankivsk, who in 2021 conducted online training for employees of Vinnytsia municipality and municipal enterprises on the topic "European Green Deal and Ukrainian city. Vinnytsia case". The trainings were held within the framework of the Qualification 2030 program with the support of the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ). The exercises resulted in recommendations on measures aimed at joining the Vinnytsia community to the principles of the European Green Deal, which are spelled out in the Roadmap of Vinnytsia City Territorial Community for the implementation of the Vinnytsia Green Deal until 2030.

During his conversation with the Mayor, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Israel to Ukraine Michael Brodsky noted that there are many projects that can be implemented jointly. "Today, Israeli entrepreneurs and companies are interested in working more actively in the Ukrainian market. Vinnytsia is a large region, and there is interest on the part of Israel in working in various fields of medicine, such as oncology," said Michael Brodsky.

Mayor Serhii Morhunov appealed to Michael Brodsky for assistance in admitting Vinnytsia doctors to Israeli hospitals for internships. "It would be good if Vinnytsia doctors and nurses working in resuscitation and emergency medicine could learn from experience in Israeli hospitals for several weeks. Vinnytsia doctors have already undergone similar internships in Italy at the Vatican Hospital, and we realized that this is a very good practice, including to change the attitude of our specialists to the organization of the treatment process, which is important for providing quality medical services," said Serhii Morhunov.

The Mayor also acquainted the distinguished guest with the work of the municipal Situation Center, by establishing of which the experience of Israel in creating a safe urban environment was used.

It should be noted that on January 20, the Embassy of Israel in Ukraine will provide assistance to Vinnytsia Regional Clinical Children's Infectious Diseases Hospital with the support of the MASHAV Israeli Agency for International Development Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Among other things, there will be personal protective equipment and medical supplies.

Vinnytsia City Council is cooperating with TCS in the framework of a signed memorandum of understanding from 2019. Additional agreements were signed on the meeting. These are the sublease agreement of the land plot and the agreement on economic activity of TCS UKRAINIAN INVESTMENTS LLC within Vinnytsia Industrial Park. This is another step towards the start of construction of the TCS plant in Vinnytsia.

During the meeting, Deputy Mayor Andrii Ocheretnyi conveyed congratulations from Mayor Serhii Morhunov. "Today there are three industrial parks in Vinnytsia. And it is very nice that two of them are already at different stages of implementation. We hope that it will be easy for you to run your business in Vinnytsia and you will be able to build your production facilities quickly enough to reach the planned parameters," says Andrii Ocheretnyi. "After the construction of the plant, more than 200 Vinnytsia residents will work there."

The Portuguese company TCS is known for patenting an innovative construction system that reduces the impact on the environment and increases the reliability of buildings.

The owner of TCS UKRAINIAN INVESTMENT LLC, João Pedro De Oliveira Ferreira De Araújo, said that the construction of the plant is planned to begin this year. "Blocks that will be manufactured at the plant in Vinnytsia can be used for the construction of various buildings and houses. Projects from such blocks are already being implemented in different countries. In Vinnytsia, three types of blocks will be made: external, internal and for the roof. We will use raw materials from Germany, technologies from Europe and the USA. Among the advantages of Vinnytsia, which is the location of the plant, is that it is close to Europe. This is important, because the products will be exported. We plan to create an infrastructure for employees at the plant, there will be an opportunity to improve the skills of employees."

Nataliia Kudrytska, General Director of TCS UKRAINIAN INVESTMENTS LLC, said that building from blocks is very simple: "One of the advantages of the blocks is that there is a frame inside them, which prevents the blocks from deforming. Houses made of such blocks have good thermal and wind isolation and waterproofing. The system has proven itself well in Canada, where it is very cold, and in African countries, where it is hot. Such houses do not need insulation. It is very important that such blocks do not burn. Environmental standards at the highest level."

The area of the plant's production facilities in Vinnytsia will be about 7,000 square meters. The total amount of investment in the construction of production will be more than 30 million euros, taking into account the cost of production equipment. The construction of the plant is planned on the territory of Vinnytsia Industrial Park next to such enterprises as Green Cool LLC (UBC-Group) and the future HEAD plant for the production of skis and sports equipment. It is important that the production of the TCS plant in Vinnytsia, as well as other enterprises in the city's industrial parks, will be environmentally friendly and will not harm the environment of our city.

The construction and commissioning of production facilities in Vinnytsia will take place in three stages. On the first stage it is planned to build and put into operation 3,000 square meters. According to preliminary calculations of TCS UKRAINIAN INVESTMENTS LLC, this will happen in late 2022 - early 2023. In the second and third stages, another 2,000 square meters of production space will be built. Staff will also be recruited gradually. Implementation of the third phase of construction is scheduled for approximately 2025. The company employs more than 200 people, including assembly operators, specialists in programming equipment and robots, etc.

Last year, Vinnytsia municipality held talks with Israeli clinics on training programs for our doctors in emergency and resuscitation departments.

"It is very important for us that doctors receive the best European practices in providing quality medical care. For example, we have a partnership with the Sacred Heart Hospital - Don Calabria in Italy, where Vinnytsia doctors underwent internships. We hope that this year our doctors will be able to gain best practices in Israeli hospitals. After all, Israel is one of the leaders in emergency medicine," said Oleksandr Shysh, director of the City Council's Healthcare Department.

Specialists from Vinnytsia City Clinical Emergency Hospital and City Clinical Hospital №1 will be sent to the internship in advance. Also, in addition to issues of cooperation in the medical field, the participants of the meeting will touch upon the development of partnerships in the economic and socio-cultural spheres.

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The strengthening of the partnership between Vinnytsia and Israel began in 2012, when a health project was implemented in the city with the assistance of this country.

In recent years, in particular, cooperation in the economic sphere has intensified: in 2019, Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation was signed with the Israel-Ukraine Chamber of Industry and Innovation. The parties also identified measures to present the economic and investment potential of Vinnytsia region for Israeli investors.

"We joined the Open Government Local Level program under the International Open Government Initiative only last year, however we have already developed an Action Plan for the implementation of the Initiative and submitted our project to an international competition," said Mayor Serhii Morhunov.

The idea of creating a network of Liaison Offices was noted by the OGP jury. The aim of this project is to integrate the adjacent territories by increasing the participation of residents in decision-making and building a sense of community.

In total, the competition considered 36 local initiatives from communities in Europe, America, Asia and Africa.

"The Open Government Initiative is a global network that brings together countries and cities that seek to develop open government. We are glad that Vinnytsia is recognized by the world community as a progressive community," said Mayor Serhii Morhunov.

"Therefore, we are very concerned about the trend of curtailing decentralization. After all, the implementation of the plans of the Vinnytsia 3.0 Strategy depends on this," said Serhii Morhunov. "It is important that Europe supports the formation of communities in the process of decentralization. EU countries are reliable partners for Ukraine and Vinnytsia as well. Our city will continue to cooperate with European institutions in various fields for sustainable development."

During the visit, Matti Maasikas has met with the leadership of the regional council and the regional state administration. It is also planned to communicate with representatives of the EU network, the ULEAD team.

Red benches are in almost all cities in Italy, Latin America and Australia. The idea to set up such a bench in Vinnytsia belongs to Matteo Redaelli, an Italian volunteer of the Pangea Ultima Development Center, who has lived in Vinnytsia for more than six months. Vinnytsia City Council willingly supported such an initiative.

"The Red Bench provides moral support to people who have suffered from domestic violence and raises the awareness of everyone who passes by. I know that Ukraine has a law on the establishment of shelters for women victims of domestic violence. Vinnytsia did not delay and was one of the first to implement the law. And this once again demonstrated how progressive and European the city is. The Red Bench in Vinnytsia will be another tool to protect women from domestic violence," said Matteo Redaelli, an Italian volunteer with the Pangea Ultima Development Center.

Representatives of the Department of Social Policy of Vinnytsia City Council, social services, foreign volunteers, law enforcement officers and concerned Vinnytsia residents gathered at the opening of the Red Bench.

"Implementation of such an initiative in our city will draw the attention of the population to the problem of domestic violence and unite the victims. Vinnytsia residents need to know where to turn in case of violence, who will support and help them," said Nataliia Dobrovolska, director of Vinnytsia City Center for Social Services.

Nataliia Dobrovolska also added that a Day Center for Social and Psychological Assistance and a mobile team for social and psychological assistance have been set up in Vinnytsia for people who have suffered from domestic or gender-based violence. The day center is located at: Vinnytsia, 30, Kosmonavtiv Avenue, office 303-304. Phones: 098-900-15-60; 093-900-15-60.

The decision to grant Vinnytsia the honorary status was made by the Council of Partners of the Child Friendly Cities Initiative. This was preceded by the city's accession to the Initiative in 2018, the adoption of an action plan and an independent audit of its implementation.

"It is important that every child in Vinnytsia feels protected and has all the conditions for full and inclusive development – in kindergartens, schools, interest clubs and sports sections, to make them comfortable in their hometown. This is the priority of our team," said Mayor Serhii Morhunov. "I am grateful to the UNICEF partners for recognizing the success of the community, and we look forward to further cooperation."

Participation in the Initiative opens up opportunities for the Foundation to support new ideas in the field of youth policy. The key areas of work on the development of a comfortable environment for children and youth are reflected in the Vinnytsia 3.0 Strategy. Receiving the UNICEF Child and Youth Friendly Community reaffirms that the community is confident in building a sustainable future for every child and young person in Greater Vinnytsia.

In 2018, Vinnytsia became a participant in the global initiative of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Child and Youth Friendly Community. On October 5, 2018, a Memorandum of Intent and Cooperation was signed between the Office of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Ukraine and Vinnytsia City Council. On December 11, 2018 in Kyiv at the All-Ukrainian Forum organized by UNICEF in Ukraine, Vinnytsia received the status of a candidate for child and youth friendly communities.

In 2019, Vinnytsia won the prestigious Child Friendly Cities Inspire Awards among the most child-friendly cities in the world. With this award, UNICEF recognizes the most creative, innovative and inspiring urban solutions for child and youth development.

The project of the school budget of participation has brought the victory to Vinnytsia, which became the best example in the world of involving children in the city government. The implementation of this competition is funded from the city budget in order to implement the ideas of students aimed at improving school life.

Child and Youth Friendly Community is a UNICEF initiative to support local authorities in their children's rights. The initiative has been implemented globally since 1996. Together with Vinnytsia, Bakhmut and Lviv became the first Ukrainian communities to receive the official status of a participant in the Initiative.

"Vinnytsia has ten years of experience in strategic planning. And participation in the EU4Culture project will open additional opportunities for quality preparation of a new document – the Strategy for Cultural Development. In our vision, Vinnytsia 3.0 is a vibrant city, where life is booming and various activities are taking place. We claim the status of the cultural capital of Central Ukraine, and you need to have clear priorities to achieve that goal. Writing a strategy is not for ticks - it's a painstaking process, and it is important that more than 90% of Vinnytsia residents are ready to join this, according to a survey conducted for the City Day. For me, this is an indicator of the maturity of our community," says Serhii Morhunov.

The EU4Culture grant program for non-capital cities was announced by the Goethe-Institut in late May this year. It provides grants for local governments and NGOs to develop community cultural strategies. The Department of Culture of Vinnytsia City Council submitted a corresponding application for participation.

The project consists of three stages. Initially, applications from 25 communities were considered. The competition commission selected five of them, including Vinnytsia, to participate in the second stage. These participants were allocated one thousand of euros each in grant funds to generate information for writing Strategies.

"At this stage, the Center for Strategic Development of Territories of Melitopol, a member of the ESOMAR European Association of Public Opinion and Marketing Researchers, the Department of Art Management and Event Technologies of the National Academy of Management of Culture and Arts of Kyiv, are involved in developing the strategy," says Director of the Department of Culture of the City Council Maksym Filanchuk. "We conducted a SWOT analysis of the current state of culture in our community, surveyed about 400 respondents on the City Day on satisfaction with cultural services to see the real need for cultural transformation of our community."

According to Oleksii Tsyhankov, First Deputy Director of the Department of Culture of the City Council, the analysis highlighted the convenient geographical location, European direction of the territorial community, interculturalism, competitive cultural product, interest of community residents in their potential involvement in the development of the Strategy. as well as the availability of cultural and artistic educational practices for different social age groups.

Based on the submitted information, the competition commission selected three winners: Vinnytsia, Rivne, Poltava. These local communities got into the third round, they received 30 thousand euros each for writing the strategy.

"Our next step is to write a Culture Development Strategy. It is important that not budget funds will be allocated for this purpose, but grants. Experts, stakeholders and, of course, the public will be involved in the process of creating this important document. We plan to present the Culture Development Strategy next year. Vinnytsia will be one of the first territorial communities to have such a document," said Deputy Mayor Halyna Yakubovych.

At the final stage of the competition, the three leaders must submit drafts of their Strategies. The winning community will receive 300,000 euros to implement the document.

Also during the visit, the guests visited Vinnytsia Transport Company: visited the depot, talked to employees, discussed technical issues of the project. In addition, they got acquainted with the work of the Situation Center, parking department, Municipal Enterprise Vinnytsiakartservis.

"Consultants who came to continue the Zurich Trams for Vinnytsia project are very pleased with the condition of the cars that were handed over to us earlier. They visited the workshops where these cars are serviced and repaired," says Mykhailo Lutsenko, General Director of Vinnytsia Transport Company. "We discussed what needs to be done in order to be able to accept, service and operate the following cars in the future: to re-equip workshops and workplaces. The consultants inspected the site where the trams will be unloaded."

Mykhailo Lutsenko also said that the consultants had decided which tram cars would be delivered to Vinnytsia. "The main thing is that we discussed which trams will be delivered to us, because there are several options for cars: the first and second series of production. Initially, we were offered trams of the first series – 1980 model year, and there are trams newer for 8-9 years. We agreed to take them. These are trams of the second series, there are 45 of them. The first batch, as agreed, will be up to 35 cars," said the General Director of Vinnytsia Transport Company.

According to Mykhailo Lutsenko, the Swiss consultants will pass all the information received in Vinnytsia to the SECO to the technical council, which will later make the final decision on the transfer of trams.

Speakers at the event included Prince William of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, President James Alix Michel (Seychelles), Rick Davis (NASA), and Matt Larsen-Doe (WWF), and UN representatives on the environment and other world leaders, climatologists and activists.

Among the 24 student teams invited to this event was a team from Ukraine, namely Vinnytsia School-Gymnasium № 6. They presented their ideas to the world in video format. "I am impressed that our children are not just thinking about global challenges, but also showing by their own example what everyone can do. A green and environmentally friendly city is one of the priorities of our Strategy 3.0. Together with motivated youth we will be able to do much more," the mayor Serhii Morhunov said.

Prestigious awards were given to institutions based on the results of their work in the field of climate education and student decisions on environmental issues. Who would receive the award was determined by representatives of the Cartoon Network Climate Champions and the global education project Climate Action.

Students from Vinnytsia schools attended online meetings with peers from the United Arab Emirates, Portugal, India, Turkey, Argentina, Pakistan and other countries. They exchanged views on solving environmental problems related to climate change.

Participants of the Climate Action Project had the opportunity to attend the LEGO Build the Change webinar, and also join the international race for eco-friendly actions using the mobile application EarthProject App, which tracks the daily actions of students that have a positive impact on the climate. In particular, according to the results of the race, the team of students of the gymnasium № 6 "CAP – Vinnytsia Gymnasium # 6" entered the TOP 20.

Cartoon Network Climate Champions is an initiative to raise awareness of climate change, which aims to inspire children to take on daily challenges that can significantly change the health of our planet. It was developed in collaboration with WWF (World Wildlife Fund).

The Climate Action Project is a free global education project involving 2,700,000 educators, students from 146 countries and launched by Take Action Global, a non-profit educational organization based in the United States.

This year, among the countries invited to the international component, along with Italy, India, Canada and Ireland, is Ukraine, represented by the UA Taste stand. Its coordinators are the public associations Ukrainian Organic Cluster and Roads of Wine and Taste of Ukraine. Vinnytsia City Council is a partner of the Ukrainian pavilion and supports the participation of Vinnytsia companies in this exhibition. Among them are Gigineishvili Wine House, TM Solodka Mriia, pottery workshop Etnochary, Vinnytsia Food Factory and Vinnytsia store Nalyvky zi Lvova. Entrepreneurs from the Vinnytsia Club of Business People also took part in the cultural and business exchange. In total, more than 40 people represent Ukraine at this event.

"Vinnytsia for the first time at the prestigious International Gastronomic Fair in Dijon. Chefs and producers from all over the world have been coming here for 100 years in a row. Finally, the Ukrainian pavilion has opened, it is nice that our gastronomy will be represented by five Vinnytsia enterprises," said the mayor Serhii Morhunov on his Facebook page. "For Vinnytsia, this is a good opportunity to declare itself as a city where quality and delicious products are produced. I am glad that our cooperation with the city of Dijon, which has been going on since 2019, is gaining momentum. Our entrepreneurs will return home with new experiences and new contacts that are important for business partnerships. And I hope that Vinnytsia will also be invited to the Foire de Dijon-2022."

Deputy Mayor of Vinnytsia Andrii Ocheretnyi shared his impressions of participating in the fair: "The presence of the Ukrainian representative office and Vinnytsia producers at this landmark event for the whole region aroused considerable interest among visitors, visible to the naked eye. They taste, ask questions and share their positive impressions of Ukraine. It is nice to hear from the French high praise for Vinnytsia wines, food and pottery. This is a signal that our manufacturers can be competitive in the European market."

On the opening day, the Ukrainian stand was visited by Deputy Mayor of Dijon Sladana Zivkovic, President of Vitagora agro-cluster Pierre Guez, President of Beten Jean Roche, heads of departments of the Burgundy-Franche-Comté region, as well as chairman of the fair organizing committee and president of the association Dijon Congrexpo Jean Battault who in 2020 visited Vinnytsia on a business visit.

The French writer Marie-France Claire, whose family comes from Vinnytsia, also helps to acquaint the French with the exotic Ukrainian culture. The Revolution of Dignity inspired the author to write a book "Five Majors for My Stranger", which tells the story of her ancestors who left Ukraine after the Liberation War of 1917-1921 and were forced to seek a new homeland in Europe. On November 2, the Day of Ukraine took place at the exhibition. On this day, the UA Taste stand focused the attention of all visitors, participants and organizers of the gastro fair. There were master classes on traditional crafts and borscht, wine and meat tastings, presentation of tours in Ukraine, meetings with representatives of participating cities, music program and many other activities, including a fashion show in embroidered shirts, sand art show and lecture "Anna of Kyiv – Queen of France".

"Every day the fair is visited by several thousand people who come from different regions of France," said Viktoriia Nikolaieva, a representative of Vinnytsia Art Space EtnoChary. "Everyone here is very interested to see the richness of our culture and gastronomy. In particular, my colleagues and I present Podillia ceramics and traditional pottery. On the Day of Ukraine we held a master class on pottery. People willingly visit the Ukrainian stand, join the activities and take with them not only interesting tastes, souvenirs and impressions, but also a part of the Ukrainian flavor. The still unknown country is so open to them that they want to travel to it, see everything with their own eyes and get even more good emotions."

The next day, foreign guests visited the tram depot and workshop, where they discussed the technical characteristics of trams, transport infrastructure and more. Later they visited the Situation Center, visited the Vinnytsiakartservis Municipal Enterprise, where they were told about the introduction of a non-cash fare system in the city's public transport.

"We took trams, visited the depot, the impressions are great. It is very nice to see the trams we donated to Vinnytsia," says Luigi Santi, technical engineer of the Zurich Tram Company and consultant company of the Rubi Bahntechnik project from Switzerland. "In Vinnytsiakarservis we were told about the municipal cards of Vinnytsia residents, the fare payment system, which is automated in Vinnytsia and very easy to use."

It will be recalled that according to this year's All-Ukrainian Municipal Survey conducted by the International Republican Institute (IRI) with the assistance of USAID Vinnytsia is a leader among Ukrainian cities in the development of transport infrastructure. 74% of citizens think so.

In December 2020, Switzerland and Vinnytsia signed an agreement to continue the Zurich Trams project, under which the city will receive a batch of 35 Tram-2000 trams. It is expected that the cars will start arriving in 2022. In total, Switzerland can hand over 70 trams of this series to Vinnytsia. The decision to transfer the second batch of Tram-2000 cars will be made after evaluating the effectiveness of the implementation of Part 1 of the new Agreement.

"Welcome Policy is steps and measures for those people who come to Vinnytsia from other countries, other cities, nearby villages, and want to integrate here and become Vinnytsia residents. These people do not always know where to turn for social services, are poorly oriented in the city and do not know how to move. Therefore, the next step after the implementation of the Welcome Policy will be the development of the Welcome Handbook, which will be a kind of cheat sheet for newly arrived residents," said Valentyna Tkachuk, director of the Institute of Urban Development.

The development of the Welcome Policy is one of the projects included in the Intercultural Strategy of Vinnytsia City Territorial Community and implemented with the support of the German government company Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. Research on the development of a new successful Welcome Policy in the city is conducted by a team of think tanks Center for Strategic Development and Center for Sociological Research of Melitopol State Pedagogical University named after Bohdan Khmelnytskyi in partnership with Vinnytsia City Council. Deputy Mayor Halyna Yakubovych noted that Vinnytsia City Territorial Community is the first in Ukraine to introduce a Welcome Policy.

"Vinnytsia is always friendly to guests and those who come to our community to live, study and work. Vinnytsia is a multinational city with different communities and foreign students. During their studies, they joined the life of Vinnytsia community and became its full-fledged residents. I believe that the adoption of such a policy will make Vinnytsia more open and hospitable. The city should be comfortable for every resident, regardless of nationality, gender or age," said Deputy Mayor Halyna Yakubovych.

In March-April, experts conducted a sociological study "New Vinnytsia residents on choosing a city, meeting with the city and life in the city."

"Newly arrived residents note that they chose Vinnytsia not by chance. Here is a good logistics location, comfortable living standards, the opportunity to find a good job, and friendly people live in Vinnytsia. They also like the fact that the city has many educational institutions, there are opportunities for business and cultural development, as well as the presence of tourist attractions," said the coordinator of the Intercultural Cities Program in Vinnytsia Yuliia Kashpruk.

Among the main goals of Welcome Policy are development of hospitality network in Vinnytsia, creating conditions for the development of quality, affordable housing for rent and purchase, promoting the registration of newcomers, expanding employment opportunities, developing a system of adapted signs and guidance tools in the city, improving image and information attractiveness of Vinnytsia, in particular, services at railway stations and station areas.

"I am grateful to the partners for their professional and pragmatic approach. I am confident that the second phase of our cooperation will be successful. Vinnytsia municipal transport will continue to develop," said Vinnytsia Mayor Serhii Morhunov.

Mayor Serhii Morhunov stressed that the city authorities and the community of Vinnytsia have similar values with this company. "We are starting cooperation not just with a successful and world-famous company, but with a company that has similar values to Vinnytsia City Council and our community. Bosch not only manufactures quality equipment, it operates with a high degree of social and environmental responsibility. I know that the special value of the company is a caring attitude to the environment and natural resources, and we are very impressed, because similar goals are set in our Strategy 3.0. And another important component for us is innovation. We are focused on the digitalization of the municipal space, the development of municipal investment, green economy and smart specialization," said Serhii Morhunov. "It is nice that we are signing a memorandum of cooperation with such a serious and powerful company. Our plans are ambitious, but the most important thing is that these partnerships grow into friendships. We are open to cooperation. I think that cooperation with companies such as HEAD, Green Cool, Barlinek is an example of a serious approach to cooperation with corporations and our partners."

On behalf of Bosch, the Memorandum was signed by Vitalii Bulda, CEO of Robert Bosch Ltd. "I am very pleased to communicate with you, because we have a sense of partnership, from the very beginning the dialogue mode worked, we began to communicate on one wave." Employees ask me how Vinnytsia is, to which I answer that Vinnytsia is great, there are people here who respond to our initiatives, submit their proposals, come with us and it drives them. They have a desire to change the city for the better," says Vitalii Bulda. "Vinnytsia for me is an example of how the city is constantly moving forward. Today, our conversations with the mayor and staff show that the city is constantly looking for new digital solutions for parking, security systems, building control, training. I am very pleased, and we will be able to join the movement of the city forward. I am sure that the technologies presented today on Independence Square as part of the Innovation Day will be useful to you, because you have an innovative city. There you can see air and security monitoring systems and much more."

After signing the memorandum, the city administration together with the guests visited the exhibition locations as part of the Vinnytsia Innovation Day on Independence Square, which everyone was able to visit until 16:30.

"I hope that such events will be traditional and in addition to Bosch, we will involve other companies so that Vinnytsia residents and guests of our city can see the innovations that exist in global corporations," said Serhii Morhunov. "Near each stand at the exhibition there are interesting things that can be implemented in Vinnytsia in various fields. There is an interesting stand for children, I think we will work on the application of such good innovative solutions from an early age. Here are the areas related to video surveillance and security systems. In general, it is important to find common ground so that we can continue to work with this world-famous company."

During Vinnytsia Innovation Day there were locations with demonstrations and master classes of innovative equipment. In particular, presentations of high-tech solutions for security and warning systems, the basics of car mechatronics from the Bosch Training Center, innovations in the field of power tools that may be of interest to students and staff of higher education, and much more. For the youngest visitors to the demo zone, there was an opportunity to get acquainted with Bosch Mini educational toys, which promote a scientific approach to the game.

Bosch was founded in 1886, headquartered in Gerlingen (near Stuttgart, Germany). Bosch has been operating in Ukraine since 1993. It is the largest provider of solutions for the automotive and aftermarket parts, as well as industrial and home appliances.

For the fifth year in a row, the City Council supports the Sikorskyi Challenge startup school on the basis of VNTU. Earlier this year, they became partners in the Innovation Cluster project. And the "magnet" for ideas and talents should be the first in Ukraine municipal technology park Krystal, which is already under construction.

"The future of the IT industry is for the creative youth, which is in short supply in our city. And we are counting on their contribution to the innovative development of Vinnytsia 3.0. By the way, according to the results of this year's All-Ukrainian municipal poll, Vinnytsia is the city with the most favorable conditions for youth success," said Serhii Morhunov.

4250 students study technical specialties at VNTU. The University's collaboration with GlobalLogic will help them better understand the specifics of the profession and gain the skills needed to work with IT projects. The partnership will also contribute to the development of the ecosystem of individual development of future technical specialists.

"Implementation of innovations in Ukrainian technical education is a necessary condition for the development of the IT market. Thanks to cooperation with Ukrainian higher education institutions, in particular with Vinnytsia National Technical University, we will be able to positively influence the quantitative and qualitative rate of involvement of novice specialists in the IT field," said GlobalLogic University Program Coordinator in Ukraine, PhD, Associate Professor Yevhen Sakalo.

"Our cooperation involves the modernization of educational programs at Vinnytsia National Technical University. Applicants for higher education at VNTU will be able to gain relevant practical skills," said VNTU Rector Viktor Bilichenko.

It will be recalled that Vinnytsia was included in the TOP-3 of the most comfortable cities for IT specialists according to the DOU project rating, which was published in February this year.