Council signs economic agreement with Ukraine region

Cornwall Council has signed an agreement with a region of Ukraine to increase economic ties.

The Zakarpattia Oblast region of Ukraine is in the south west corner of Ukraine and shares borders with four EU countries: Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania.

A Memorandum of Intent was signed during a virtual ceremony at New County Hall in Truro to "explore mutual interests".

Sophie Hosking, the council's strategic director for neighbourhoods, said she was "delighted" by the agreement on shared interests such as agriculture, tourism, China clay, and wine production.

Zakarpattia, she said, was keen to learn from the local authority's experience in waste disposal, recycling, and recovery.

"With around 1,000 Ukrainians currently residing in Cornwall, this agreement underscores our commitment to strengthening our bonds and improving the lives of all residents," she said.

Myroslav Biletskyy, head of Zakarpattia Administrative State, who signed the memorandum on behalf of Zakarpattia, said he hoped for a "fruitful partnership".

"We are honoured to be part of this historic moment for both Zakarpattia and Cornwall," he said.

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