Rehlinger signs agreement in Ukraine
Saarland Minister President Anke Rehlinger (SPD) also traveled to Ukraine on Wednesday as part of a delegation trip to Poland's partner region Podkarpackie. Deputy government spokeswoman Jennifer Collet told the German Press Agency this evening. Rehlinger signed a partnership agreement between Lviv and Saarland together with the governor of the oblast, Maksym Kosyzkyj, in the Lviv (Lemberg) oblast.
"As of today, a positive signal for the future of Ukraine as a future member of the EU is on its way. Today is also a good day for relations between Saarland and Ukraine," said Rehlinger. Saarland has already had good relations with the Polish-Ukrainian border region for 14 years through its partnership with Podkarpackie. "We will not only strengthen these, but also expand them geographically," announced the Minister President.
The aim is now to develop common points of contact with the Lviv Oblast as part of the partnership. This would involve economic cooperation as well as social issues. "We remain firmly on Ukraine's side - even when it comes to jointly identifying areas of cooperation for the post-war period," she said.
Rehlinger and Ukrainian Ambassador Maxim Makeiev had already announced in April that they wanted to agree a regional partnership.
During her trip to Lviv, Rehlinger also visited the local university hospital. There she handed over the promise of financial support for the procurement of an operating table and endoscopic equipment for the university's surgical faculty, which operates and conducts research in the central hospital in the Lviv region. The purchase is supported by the association Ukraine-Freunde Saar. The Minister President also laid flowers on the graves of young fallen Ukrainians at a cemetery.
Since Tuesday, Anke Rehlinger has been accompanied on her trip to Poland by the Head of the State Chancellery and Plenipotentiary for European Affairs, David Lindemann. Interior Minister Reinhold Jost (SPD), Education Minister Christine Streichert-Clivot (SPD), District Administrator Theophil Gallo (SPD) and the Deputy Chairman of the European Affairs Committee in the Saarland state parliament, Roland Theis (CDU), had already arrived the day before. The delegation plans to return from Poland on Friday.
The government of Saarland and the Lviv oblast have agreed to strengthen and expand their town twinning, signifying a commitment to deepen their relationship, as stated by Minister President Anke Rehlinger. This collaboration between the two regions could potentially lead to significant economic cooperation and address social issues, as mentioned during Rehlinger's trip to Ukraine.
Source: www.dpa.com
