The 3rd Annual International Summit of Cities and Regions, attended by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, government officials, parliamentarians, international partners of Ukraine, and heads of Ukrainian and European cities, municipalities, and communities, was held in Kyiv.
The main idea of the Summit, which was held this year under the slogan "United for Peace and Security," is to consolidate efforts at both the national and international levels to support and develop Ukrainian communities. This includes partnerships and patronage from foreign cities and regions.
In the context of preparations for URC2025, which will be held in early July in Rome, Deputy Prime Minister for the Restoration of Ukraine and Minister for Development of Communities and Territories, Oleksii Kuleba, noted that even in the face of a brutal war, Ukraine continues to implement systemic changes to strengthen the institutional capacity of communities and improve the living standards and prosperity of Ukrainians.
According to Kuleba, over the three years of the full-scale Russian invasion, 500 Ukrainian communities have signed more than two thousand agreements with authorities from 64 countries. The government's task is to formulate the principles of sustainable governance at all levels and to create equal conditions for the development of all territories based on strategies and societal needs. The Government of Ukraine continues to implement public investment management reform, which establishes a unified pathway for the implementation of public investment projects and programs.
Transparency and accountability in all processes within the reform are ensured through digital tools such as the DREAM ecosystem. This is a unique Ukrainian development, created based on international recommendations and best practices for forming public investment projects, adapted to the Ukrainian context, and enabling stakeholders to track all processes in real-time.
DREAM serves as a digital assistant in the public investment management reform for all clients and system users. In the DREAM interactive zone, Summit participants had the opportunity to test the ecosystem's capabilities. Project office specialists demonstrated how to use the ecosystem's analytical tools — the Business Intelligence Module and DREAM's Interactive Map — with specific examples. These tools provide information on individual projects, including financial needs, budgeting, contracting processes, and contractors, as well as data samples by sector, region, and other categories.
DREAM experts emphasized that well-prepared projects aligned with strategies, priorities, and needs will enable communities to apply for state funding and gain access to European structural and investment funds for their implementation. International partners expressed their readiness to continue supporting the implementation of the DREAM ecosystem as part of the public investment management reform.
This tool will allow them to conduct their investment policy more effectively. Investors can be confident in the feasibility of their investments, as DREAM reflects the real priorities of the state and the specific needs of each sector. Thus, digitalization and transparency facilitate dialogue between authorities and international partners, helping to establish sustainable partnerships.
Ukraine's resilience lies first and foremost in the resilience of its communities. That is why international partners are interested in sharing their experience and investing resources at the local level, in cities, regions, towns, and villages, to build strong partnerships that can swiftly restore infrastructure, adapt it to European standards, and improve the common good.
