In September 2021, Kyiv hosted a plenary gathering under U-LEAD’s initiative ‘Bridges of Trust’ where representatives of 16 Ukrainian and 11 Slovenian municipalities shared experiences of local self-government and built joint plans.
At that gathering, Vladimir Prebilic, Vice-President of the Association of Municipalities and Towns of Slovenia, spoke about cooperation between the municipalities of the two countries in different areas. As the mayor of the Municipality of Kočevje, he announced his plan to cooperate with Bucha. The plan was to start with raising young people’s interest through exchange visits, showing prospects and encouraging young people to work in the local communities.
The municipality of Kočevje together with the municipalities of Odranci, Lenart and Logatec were among the first to provide emergency humanitarian aid to the Ukrainian communities on 25 March 2022, sending to Ukraine, specifically to Bucha and Trostyanets, hygiene items, water and rescue equipment. Four Slovenian companies from the Prekmurje region led by Janez Kodila, the owner of the local meat processing company, sent some 12 tonnes of storable foodstuffs to the Ukrainian municipalities, who are partners of their Slovenian counterparts. The Slovenian partners helped people from almost all of Ukraine as this emergency aid was sent with assistance from the U-LEAD with Europe team to two partner cities in Lviv and Ternopil oblasts, which together accepted over 17 000 internally displaced persons. A part of this invaluable aid was sent to a kindergarten, where around 60 children of internally displaced persons from Luhansk oblast attend.
Slovenia is a small European country with a big heart and was among the first to show that Ukraine has true friends and partners. In this incredibly difficult time, it is resolutely lending its shoulder as Slovenians know and remember well what a war is: 30 years ago, the Slovenian people also fought for their independence with blood. Together with other countries of the united Europe, Slovenia joined the #StandWithUkraine movement. It is particularly important that this movement is developing and operating not only at the level of states, but also at a human level. The example of humanitarian aid from the people of Slovenia is indicative of this.
In April, the Ukrainian Charity Center ‘Chervona Kalyna’ was opened in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, to provide Ukrainians fleeing from the war with assistance, information and humanitarian aid. At ‘Chervona Kalyna’, the Ukrainians who found shelter in Slovenia can also communicate, organise and coordinate joint actions to support Ukraine as well as the local Ukrainian community. Ukrainians and Slovenians have already organised several anti-war events and events to support Ukraine.
The quintessence of Slovenia’s position was expressed by the country’s Prime Minister Janez Janša: “There is no country on the whole of our continent that is more European than Ukraine. Thank you for not only defending your homeland and Europe as a territory, but for defending the very core of European values and our way of life. Your fight is our fight and together we will prevail.”
Peaceful cooperation, which was discussed in September 2021 in Kyiv, is uniting Europe with joint counteraction exposing the war to be everything that goes against the universal morality and the fundamental principles of the EU. Being close to each other in the hardest and most tragic moments is possible and natural if the bridges connecting countries and people are built on common values and partnership.