In a statement, the organisation, which comprises 19 municipalities (17 from the Coimbra district, one from Aveiro, and one from Viseu), announced that the agreement aims to “strengthen cooperation between the entities and identify opportunities for future collaboration, particularly regarding potential applications for European programs such as Horizon Europe.”

The partnership envisions “the possibility of developing cooperative activities through the organisation of meetings, technical visits, capacity-building initiatives, information sharing, and the identification of funding opportunities and projects of mutual interest.”

Areas of cooperation between the two institutions include the sharing of knowledge, best practices, and experiences regarding regional development, innovation, sustainability, economic resilience, territorial cohesion, and institutional capacity building.

The RDAKR was established in 2018 to implement regional policies in cooperation with the Regional Military Administration and the Kyiv Regional Council. It participates in regional development strategies, recovery plans for territorial communities, initiatives to support small and medium-sized enterprises, investment attraction, energy efficiency, and European integration.

“The RMC has been strengthening ties with Ukraine. In addition to the agreement with the RDAKR, the region is involved in projects such as ‘Bridges of Trust’, promoted by the Council of European Municipalities and Regions, under which eight municipalities in the Coimbra Region have established partnerships with eight Ukrainian municipalities.”