Ukrainian mayors to visit Sheffield as city plans new twinning

City officials from Khmelnytskyi, in western Ukraine, approached Sheffield in June expressing interest in developing closer relationships between the two cities to share civic, cultural, educational and business opportunities.

The proposal is the two cities enter into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on twin city relations and cooperation.

Nik Hamilton, investment team manager at the council, said: “Worldwide, significant impetus has been given to establishing formal and informal international links between cities, especially following the Second World War, as a means of developing friendship and mutual understanding, together with the prospect of deriving economic benefit.

“Responding positively to this approach presents an opportunity to show solidarity and support for the city, which is currently affected by the war in Ukraine.”

They added: “As the UK’s first City of Sanctuary, it feels natural to want to build upon the existing strong ties that we have with the Ukrainian community living in Sheffield and South Yorkshire.”

As part of the process, the mayor and deputy mayor of Khmelnytskyi are due to visit Sheffield this week.

They are expected to present a brief overview of the plans, their city and its situation regarding the current conflict in a special meeting ahead of full council on Wednesday, December 14.

Sheffield’s Lord Mayor is expected to sign the MoU with the city of Khmelnytskyi – which will be reviewed in December next year – on behalf of Sheffield.

Sheffield has historically fostered international relationships through a number of twin city arrangements and friendship agreements in Europe, USA, Nicaragua, China, Japan, Pakistan and Zambia as well as through the EuroCities network.

One of its twin cities is Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, a relationship that began in the 1950s.

Officers said: “In establishing a new twinning relationship withKhmelnytskyi, we need to be respectful of the prior twinning relationshipwith Donetsk and when the conflict is over the intention would be to seekto renew relations when deemed appropriate.”

The council no longer has a dedicated international relations team so some of these relationships are less active than they were.

Khmelnytskyi

The city is similar to Sheffield in several ways – it is a green city with a large student population and lots of industry.

Its population is around 270,000 – of whom 30,000 are students – and it is home to businesses operating in the chemical and petrochemical industries, food processing and construction. It is also keen to develop waste management expertise.

Sheffield Council officers said: “The city is currently working on the creation of the Khmelnytskyi Industrial Park as a powerful innovation and technological entity that will stimulate investment and production activities in the local area and increase the investment attractiveness of the city of Khmelnytskyi – this development may well have parallels to the establishment of our own Innovation District here in Sheffield.”

The full officer update on the proposed twinning can be found here: http://democracy.sheffield.gov.uk/documents/s56274/Khmelnytskyi%20Ukraine%20-%20Establishment%20of%20a%20Twin%20City%20Relationship%20-%20Report%20to%20Special%20Council%2014th%20De.pdf