Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko and Brussels Mayor Philippe Close opened the Alley of Friends of Kyiv on Volodymyrska Hirka in the center of the Ukrainian capital, planting the first two trees there, according to a message posted on the website of Kyiv mayor on Friday.

"Together with Mayor of Brussels Philippe Close, who came to the Ukrainian capital at my invitation, we launched the Alley of Friends of Kyiv on Volodymyrska Hirka. And today we planted the first two trees – Spanish plane trees. Brussels is considered the capital of the European Union, of which Ukraine aspires to become a part. And it is very symbolic that the Mayor of Brussels was the first to join the planting of trees in the new alley. These trees are a symbol of our friendship and the victory of Ukraine and the democratic world over barbaric Russia," Klitschko said.

He thanked the local authorities of Brussels and the Belgian government for their solidarity with the Ukrainian people.

During the visit to Kyiv, the delegation from Brussels visited the suburbs of the Ukrainian capital affected by the Russian occupiers, visited one of Kyiv municipal hospitals and a rehabilitation center. Klitschko and Close also talked online with the mayors of 15 European cities-signatories of the joint Declaration of Mutual Understanding in support of reconstruction and Sustainable development of the Ukrainian capital. During an online meeting with the signatories of this document, they discussed projects for the implementation of which Kyiv needs international support.