Kiel, 29. February 2024. Today representatives of the cities of Kiel and Kherson signed the partnership agreement of our two cities. Our cooperation project between Kiel University and Kherson State Agrarian and Economic University was one of the starting points of this initiative, and we did our best to make the city partnership come true. We were thus very happy to be part of the ceremony.
In a solemn ceremony, Vitaliy Belobrov, Deputy Mayor of Kherson, and Bettina Aust, City President of Kiel, signed the city partnership agreement in Kiel’s Council Hall. Among the audience were members of Kiel’s political parties, local society, businesses, universities, and the Ukrainian community, all acknowledging the importance of standing together united. In their speeches, Deputy Mayor Beloborov and City President Aust addressed the need for collaboration and unity between our cities (and countries) in face of the Russian aggression.
Dr. Iryna Tybinka, Consul General of Ukraine, emphasized: it is Ukraine that is on the frontline and requires all possible military and non-military assistance. She called on Kiel and Germany to do whatever necessary to let Ukraine win this war against the Russian assault on our shared European values of freedom, democracy and human rights.
We all think that the city partnership between Kherson and Kiel is an important step – however small it may be – in the Ukrainian struggle to defend themselves and us against tyranny and evil, and make its way towards Europe. This is what we all strive for and this is why we were so happy to jointly celebrate this wonderful day.
On the photo, from left to right: Anna, Kai, Vitaliy Belobrov, Tetiana, Olena (our KSAEU student visiting Kiel), and Ievgeniia (Rozmova e.V., German-Ukrainian Association in Schleswig-Holstein, https://rozmova.de)
But this day was not only meant to make history for our two cities and beyond, it was also a day of our Ukrainian friends to meet each other in Kiel, far away from home, and to take heart for the challenges ahead.
For more information, see also the press statement of the City of Kiel (https://www.kiel.de/de/politik_verwaltung/meldung.php?id=133921)
