Klitschko kicks off the Days of Kyiv in Leipzig: Germany is committed to further help Ukraine transform and set the European standards of living

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko together with Mayor of Leipzig Burkhard Jung kicked off the Days of Kyiv in Leipzig to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the sister city partnership between the two cities. The celebration started with the opening ceremony for the “KyivScape: Democracy and Freedom” photo exhibition about the everyday life of Ukraine’s capital city. In attendance were also many Ukrainians who live in Leipzig.

“We are grateful to our German partners and friends for their support and help. We highly appreciate our cooperation. Kyiv learns about Leipzig’s expertise in bringing in European democratic standards, best practices and project outcomes in urban governance transformation, including the Smart City system, basic democracy principles, economic and cultural cooperation,” stressed Vitali Klitschko.

Burkhard Jung stated that Leipzig partners with Kyiv as with a European city which Kyiv definitely is. “We are set to continue our cooperation – in economy, self-governance, tourism, culture and sport,” he said.

Also, Klitschko and Jung who chair the Association of Ukrainian Cities and the Association of German Cities respectively discussed the issues of decentralization and self-governance.

Burkhardt Jung emphasized the importance of strengthening and broader empowerment of local governance governments that drives the democratic development of a country.

Klitschko spoke to the issue of decentralisation also at the meeting with the Special Envoy of the German Government for the Decentralization Reform, ex-Minister President of Saxony Georg Milbradt.

Besides, Germany’s Peaceful Revolution Foundation has selected Vitali Klitschko as a keynote speaker at the ceremony this evening to deliver a keynote address on the topic of Democracy, marking the anniversary of East Germany’s peaceful revolution of 1989.