Strengthening international partnerships to support the just transition of Ukraine’s coal communities
Representatives of the Association of Coal Communities of Ukraine – Deputy CEO Oksana Tomashuk, Project Managers Roksolyana Petyak and Olena Yanchyshyn, together with Nataliia Kovalchuk, Advisor to the Power4Just Transition project (GIZ Ukraine), held an online meeting with Katja Dietrich, Mayor of Weißwasser, Germany.
The meeting built on the partnership initiated during the working visit of Oksana Tomashuk to Weißwasser, where she first met with the Mayor and agreed to further develop dialogue and cooperation between the two communities.
Weißwasser is located in Lusatia region, one of Germany’s traditional coal-mining areas, which is currently undergoing a just transition. Over the years, the city has gained valuable practical experience in economic diversification, developing new economic sectors, and attracting investment.
The main focus of the meeting was the potential partnership between the City of Weißwasser and the Mykolaiv Territorial Community of Dnipropetrovsk region of Ukraine. Despite its proximity to the frontline, the community continues to pursue sustainable development and implement the principles of a just transition.
During the discussion, the participants identified the first areas for future cooperation, including the exchange of practical experience, the implementation of joint international projects, the organization of study visits, and the development of a long-term partnership between the two communities.
“International partnership is one of the Association’s key priorities. We are committed to ensuring that Ukrainian communities have the opportunity to learn from Europe’s best practices, establish reliable partnerships, and jointly implement initiatives that create new opportunities for local development throughout the just transition process,” stated Oksana Tomashuk.
We hope that this dialogue will serve as a strong foundation for long-term cooperation and the implementation of joint initiatives that will contribute to the sustainable development of both Ukrainian and German communities.
