Vitalii Bezghin: Mountain communities in the Carpathian region need dedicated support instruments

Minister for Communities, Territories and Internally Displaced Persons Vitalii Bezghin worked in Ivano-Frankivsk region together with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Viktor Mykyta.

At the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under the President of Ukraine, they spoke with community leaders, regional heads and members of parliament from the Carpathian region. These territories have considerable economic potential for business relocation and development, tourism, energy, IT, veterans’ rehabilitation and other areas.

“Mountain communities have specific challenges: difficult transport access, special conditions for schools and hospitals, and limited financial capacity. We will therefore develop a dedicated set of regional development instruments to support people in these communities. I am grateful to the President of Ukraine for his leadership and support,” Vitalii Bezghin said.

They also discussed horizontal cooperation with countries across the Carpathian region. Mountain territories do not end at national borders, so the opportunities for cross-border and interregional partnership under the “Carpathian Integration Initiative” need to be used much more actively.