Today, it is a key aspect of modern international cooperation that promotes mutual understanding, exchange of experience, joint development and solidarity in interregionalism.
The European Union, by supporting interregional partnerships, is strengthening its international status and establishing itself as a global actor. Ukraine, by participating in cross-border programmes, uses this as one of the available tools for implementing its European integration vector.
The legal, economic and organisational framework for cross-border cooperation in Ukraine is implemented on the basis of international law and domestic legislation, including the European Framework Convention on Cross-Border Cooperation between Territorial Communities or Authorities and its Additional Protocols, the Laws of Ukraine “On Cross-Border Cooperation”, “On the Principles of State Regional Policy”, “On Stimulating Regional Development”, “On Local Self-Government in Ukraine”, and the State Strategy for Regional Development for 2021-2027.
In today’s context, cross-border development will help improve the lives of regional populations, socio-economic levelling of regions, reduce social tensions among the population, increase support for the EU integration process, improve infrastructure, and many other areas.
Cross-border cooperation is a factor of stability, an additional tool for achieving mutual understanding between states and developing good neighbourly relations. As part of the regional policy of European countries, considerable attention and financial support is paid to cross-border cooperation.
The team of the Ukraine Rebuilding Alliance has extensive experience in cross-border programmes, including the EU Strategy for the Danube Region. This is an initiative aimed at overcoming common problems and challenges in the border areas of 14 countries united by the international river Danube. In particular, the Alliance implements such financial instruments of cross-border cooperation as Interreg and lobbies for the interests of Ukrainian communities at the international level.
