On 4 December 2025 Slovak and Ukrainian municipalities gained a further framework for joint activities. A working meeting between the Association of Towns and Municipalities of Slovakia (ZMOS) and the Ukrainian platform Mayors’ Club led to the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation. The preparations were organised and coordinated by Mayors of Slovakia, which has long worked on developing cross-border partnerships.
The purpose of the agreement is to shorten the path from first contact to cooperation on concrete tasks. Municipalities can establish partnerships, organise expert exchanges and jointly set project priorities according to the needs of their residents.
Shared topics with a broad reach
The memorandum opens cooperation on modernising local infrastructure and public services, strengthening community resilience, digitalisation, education and youth work. It also leaves room for cultural and sports projects, social inclusion and the forming of international consortia. Finding suitable grant programmes and expert partners can play an important role.
The signing is the start of a working process, not its end. The success of the cooperation will depend on identifying the towns involved, defining feasible plans and agreeing on each partner’s responsibilities. It is in this coordination that the non-governmental sector can help connect institutions on both sides of the border.