On 13 June, representatives of the Donetsk Oblast self-government gathered together with experts of the national level in Kramatorsk to discuss key issues pertaining to the development of territories and work out a system of subsequent steps that would accelerate the economic growth of the Donetsk region. Representatives from successful and actively developing amalgamated territorial communities in Dnipropetrovsk and Poltava Oblasts arrived together with the experts from Kyiv to speak to the inhabitants of the Donetsk region and share their experience. The experience sharing between the representatives of communities was intensive and mutually beneficial. It turned out that the number of successful practices is much more than it looks at first sight, and the participants already have gained the experience to share with each other. Among the most sensitive and acute issues determined by the participants to the event were the issues of the public sector, matters pertaining to the development of education sector in the communities, improvement of the healthcare infrastructure. The issue of the necessity of informational support to the reform was also named among the most important conditions of the reform implementation. Ilona Postemska, Project Coordinator of the Swiss Cooperation Office in Ukraine, opened the event. In her speech, she confirmed that the Swiss Cooperation Office would further actively participate in the projects related to the power decentralisation and development of the local self-government in Ukraine pointing out to the special role played by Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts in those processes. In his turn, Deputy Head of the Donetsk Oblast State Administration Serhii Popov noted the following: "Donetsk Oblast now feels the attention on the part of the donor community and we are grateful for such support and I believe that we will live up to it. In addition to the three established amalgamated territorial communities, next ones are getting prepared to the amalgamation. I am sure that the amalgamation process will not terminate until all communities are amalgamated". Yurii Hanushchak, Director of the Institute for Development of Territories, Expert of the DESPRO Swiss-Ukrainian Decentralisation Support Project in Ukraine, among other things, stated as follows: "Communities that are planning to amalgamate should take into account many important factors, including the future overall area. Because the area of an amalgamated community which is less than two hundred square kilometres is far to be the most efficient, and this should be realized. In addition, it should be realized and accepted that the prosperous communities should integrate less financially successful neighbours and help them to keep pace. It is fair. Also, one should not forget about the importance of the development of a long-term plan for the amalgamation of communities, which plan should specify the intended use of land. This will allow engaging financial partners and investors". "Such meetings are beneficial not only to the representatives of communities but also for the Ministry of Regional Development. During discussions, we collect information so that it is later processed and all comments and requests expressed by the regions are taken into consideration. This helps us in the process of implementing the reform. However, we should remember that the decentralisation involves not only the Ministry of Regional Development. It is also the Ministry of Social Policy, and the Ministry of Education and Science, and the Ministry of Health, and other ministries and governmental agencies. The success will come only in the event of close cooperation of all of the above institutions", said Lilia Popova, Head of the Local Self-Government Bodies Liaison Unit of the Department of Self-Government Bodies and Territorial Structure of Power of the Ministry of Regional Development, Construction and Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine. "After the amalgamation, the community will get a powerful resource, both financial and organisational. Our community makes a striking example. But we should remember that there will immediately arise the need for qualified personnel to use those resources. We have faced this problem and we are resolving it. Also, the issue of qualified teachers and physicians is pressing", Artur Shevtsov, Chairman of the Zhovtneva ATC in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast shared his experience. In his turn, Ivan Leshchenko, Chairman of the Bila Tserkva ATC in Poltava Oblast, underlined the following: "We communicate with the inhabitants amalgamating in an ATC very attentively. And we never make drastic decisions regarding the infrastructure trying to avoid stressful situations in the relations. We carry out discussions prior to making any important decisions. This allows excluding any confrontation between the settlements that have amalgamated and resolve everything by taking into consideration their opinions. "Donetsk Oblast has a potential that is still to be discovered. Even among the communities that have not amalgamated yet, there are many gifted managers. And after the amalgamation, with the support on the part of the state, the success will be even greater", Valerii Kochuiev, Chairman of the Institute of Self-Government Development of the Donetsk Oblast Department of the All-Ukrainian Non-Governmental Organisation "Committee of Voters of Ukraine" said. Curiously enough, the most problematic aspects impeding, according to the representatives of the Donetsk region, the speed of self-government development in Donbas include the aforementioned legislative aspects, informational support, and others, but not the proximity of the region to the zone of anti-terrorist operation. The public dialogue took place at the initiative of the Ministry of Regional Development, Construction and Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine under the auspices of the DESPRO Swiss-Ukrainian Decentralisation Support Project in Ukraine. The organisational and consultancy and advisory support were extended by the Donetsk Oblast Military and Civil Administration and the Donetsk Oblast Department of the All-Ukrainian Non-Governmental Organisation "Committee of Voters of Ukraine" ___________________________________________________________________________________ · the Ministry of Regional Development, Construction and Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine · the DESPRO Swiss-Ukrainian Decentralisation Support Project in Ukraine · the Luhansk Oblast Military and Civil Administration · the Donetsk Oblast Department of the All-Ukrainian Non-Governmental Organisation "Committee of Voters of Ukraine" Short link to the news: http://despro.org.ua/~PUHwp