Reconstruction - Schulze promotes more NRW partnerships with Ukraine
Federal Minister of Development Svenja Schulze (SPD) is advocating for more municipal partnerships with Ukrainian cities in North Rhine-Westphalia. "Our civil support for Ukraine is just as important as the military one," said the SPD politician in Düsseldorf. There are already successful city and regional partnerships between German and Ukrainian cities in North Rhine-Westphalia.
"Ukraine will become an interesting market for German companies as it moves into the EU, and that's why I'm also using today's opportunity again to advocate for bringing more such partnerships about," said Schulze. There are still over a thousand Ukrainian communes without partners who wish for a partnership.
Immediate and direct exchange
"At the municipal level, one looks very precisely at what is needed. And the exchange at the communal level is exactly an immediate and direct one," explained Schulze the necessity of regional partnerships between German and Ukrainian cities.
Through this type of cooperation, one can help rebuild energy infrastructure and healthcare, for example. In addition, one supports companies in being able to continue producing in Ukraine and in vocational training. Municipal partnerships are therefore enormously important, said Schulze.
Development cooperation as a economic policy catalyst
Basically, development cooperation is the basis for prosperity and peace. "Development policy is an economic policy catalyst. We are in international competition for raw materials. If we are the ones who make fair offers to our partners, then we can also compete in the competition for these raw materials and influence spheres in this world," said Schulze.
Recently, there have been criticisms about expenditures for development cooperation. For example, a road construction project in Peru financed by Germany made headlines.
- Svenja Schulze, the SPD's Federal Minister of Development from North Rhine-Westphalia, specifically mentioned Düsseldorf when stressing the importance of civil support for Ukraine.
- Schulze emphasized that future economic opportunities in Ukraine, as it joins the EU, make it imperative to establish more municipal partnerships within North Rhine-Westphalia.
- Nearly a thousand Ukrainian communes are currently seeking partners for potential municipal partnerships, according to Schulze's statement.
- By participating in municipal partnerships, German and Ukrainian cities can collaborate on reconstructing energy infrastructure and healthcare facilities, as well as supporting continued production in Ukrainian companies and vocational training programs.
- The SPD politician stated that municipal partnerships play a crucial role in the overall development cooperation strategy, acting as a catalyst for prosperity and peace in global economic competition.
- In response to criticisms over development cooperation expenditures, Schulze highlighted a recent example of partnership-funded road construction projects in Peru, emphasizing the importance of fair and responsible partnerships in global development efforts.
