Aid projects for the city of Kherson, which has been severely affected by the war, have been running for almost a year: as part of a solidarity partnership, the city of Bonn and its partners are supporting the city in southern Ukraine. The core elements are the donation partnership "Bonn helps Kherson" with the organization "Help - Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe", the donation of municipal vehicles, support for a collection of donations in kind by ZeSaBo, cooperation with associations and initiatives as well as direct exchange with partners in Kherson. The cooperation will become even more intensive in the future. The Bonn City Council has now voted in favor of Mayor Katja Dörner signing a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen the solidarity partnership with the city of Kherson. A delegation from Kherson will visit the city of Bonn at the end of February.

"With this partnership, we are sending a signal of solidarity in difficult times, but we also want to provide concrete humanitarian aid and support the reconstruction of municipal structures," says Mayor Katja Dörner. "We are united by our commitment to common European values, democracy and the rule of law. On the basis of this declaration of intent, we will continue, strengthen and further develop existing contacts in the spirit of international understanding," continued the Mayor.

Cooperation is to be intensified in the following areas:

• Encounters between citizens
• Municipal exchange of experience and reconstruction of municipal administrative structures
• Exchange in the areas of culture, youth, education and sport
• Joint projects should contribute to achieving the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) wherever possible.

The partnership can be expanded to include other topics in consultation. Interested parties can find the wording of the declaration of intent  here (opens in a new tab).