Slovak Foreign Policy Association in close cooperation with the City of Košice organized international conference „Partnership for Slovak – Ukrainian Cross-Border Cooperation; Cooperation of Self Governing Regions". The event was held on 7 September 2009 in the premises of the Yasmin Hotel in Košice.
Conference was a part of a large scale project named „Partnership for Development: Building of Slovak – Ukrainian Cross-Border Cooperation". The project is focused on intensifying of the Slovak – Ukrainian cross-border cooperation through the building of capacities, networking of institutions and seeking of solutions how to remove barriers of our mutual cooperation. Main goal of the conference was to evaluate actual level of cooperation between the Slovak and Ukrainian self governing regions (Eastern Slovakia and Transcarpathian Ukraine) and define problems, possibilities as well as suggestions for development of further mutual cross-border cooperation.
City of Košice intends to use its strategic location within the scope of east partnership and to contribute to the building of good relations with neighbours, especially with Ukraine. It would like to do this through implementing of principles and tools of the European Neighbourhood Policy that should also contribute to the common economic collaboration.
With the aim to contribute to the further development of mutual relations on the local and regional level was as a host of the conference invited also mayor of the partner city, City of Uzhgorod Mr. Serhiy Ratushnyak.
About 30 lord mayors and mayors from Transcarpathian Ukraine together with about 70 participants from Košice and Prešov self governing regions took part in the Conference. The participants of the Conference had been welcomed by the Mayor of the City of Košice Mr. František Knapík. In his speech he stressed the fact, that despite administrative barriers, there are existing and developing business and commerce contacts, as well as bond of friendship. "This is the platform, from which the topic of the Conference stem from, the ground on which is possible to build an effective communication and to develop cooperation. It depends only on us whether we are able to use an opportunity, to overcome problematic points and to further develop mutual cooperation. International Conference „Partnership for Slovak – Ukrainian Cross-Border Cooperation; Cooperation of Self Governing Regions" could significantly contribute to the aim".
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