Specific agreements on cooperation at the level of sister cities and sister regions, as well as the development of patronage initiatives of individual countries over the restoration of Ukrainian regions should be the focus of attention of diplomatic missions of Ukraine, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha believes.

"On Tuesday, September 17, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha held an online meeting on regional cooperation between Ukraine and countries of the world with heads of foreign diplomatic missions with the participation of Deputy Head of the President's Office of Ukraine Viktor Mykyta," the MFA press service said on its website on Tuesday.

"Establishing cooperation between Ukraine and countries of the world at the level of regions and communities is part of Ukraine's foreign policy and the priorities defined by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Ukraine has a good basis for such cooperation – decentralization reform and administrative-territorial reform. These are the components of the resilience that Ukraine demonstrated during the years of a full-scale invasion. The development of international cooperation between regions will strengthen this resilience," the Foreign Minister said.

It is reported that the minister noted the importance of reaching specific cooperation agreements at the level of sister cities and sister regions, as well as developing the patronage initiative of individual countries to restore Ukrainian regions.

The meeting participants also discussed promoting the development of cooperation between Ukrainian regions both directly with potential regions and sister cities, and through associations of cities and regions.

Sybiha also informed about the structural changes in the Foreign Ministry, designed to make international interregional cooperation systemic and result-oriented.