The Government has an approved strategy of regional development until 2020, a significant part of which strategy is devoted to the solution of problems of rural territories. However, within the frames of decentralisation, no governmental strategy or policy will facilitate the actual development of territories so much as the proactive and conscientious position of local communities. It was said so by First Deputy Minister of Regional Development, Construction, and Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine Viacheslav Nehoda during the Research and Training Conference "Development of Rural Territories in the Circumstances of Decentralisation: Condition, Possibilities and Challenges" that took place under the auspices of the DESPRO Project in Kyiv on 19 April 2016. «Clear state policy aimed at the support for regional development should be in place. But under the circumstances when substantial powers and resources are transferred to the local level we strongly hope that the local self-government bodies, local business, and civil society will act proactively and take joint responsibility for the development of their territory", Viacheslav Nehoda noted. He called local leaders and heads of communities to more actively engage the public and the business in taking responsible decisions pertaining to the development of the territories. "The residents of villages, representatives of local business should be engaged to the maximum extent in the development of territories where they are living, they should take an active part and feel the responsibility for the future of their community", the First Deputy Minister is confident. He emphasized that the Government, together with international partners, are ready to provide further financial and methodological assistance to the development of communities. "But it is very important that a proactive position in the settlement of all existing problems of the village is also shown on the part of local self-government bodies. Only together we will be able to ensure the intensive, comprehensive, and systemic development of territories aimed both at the creation of jobs and improvement of infrastructure and, hence, at the improvement of living conditions in each settlement in the country, which improvement is the long-run objective of the reform of local self-government and decentralisation", Viacheslav Nehoda summed up. Reference information The Research and Training Conference "Development of Rural Territories in the Circumstances of Decentralisation: Condition, Possibilities and Challenges" has been arranged for under the auspices of the Ministry of Regional Development, Construction and Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine and assistance granted by the DESPRO Swiss-Ukrainian Decentralisation Support Project in Ukraine, and the "Support to Ukraine's Regional Development Policy" EU project, and the Institute of Civil Society.