On 24 February, the Head of the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI) Allan Pagh Kristensen joined the meeting of the Ukraine group of the European Committee of the Regions in Gdansk, Poland.
On the one-year anniversary of the full-scale Russian military invasion of Ukraine, the meeting brought together an exclusive group of representatives from local authorities in the EU and Ukraine, providing an opportunity to strengthen ties between them. The members discussed the overall political context around Ukraine's EU accession process, transparency and good governance at the local level in times of war, as well as current emergency needs in Ukraine.
As a key speaker on the panel, Allan Pagh Kristensen discussed the challenges faced by EUACI's work in Ukraine during martial law and the results of the Integrity Cities’ project. He stressed the crucial role that transparency and good governance play in promoting international support and cooperation, particularly for the development of Ukraine.
“Our Ukrainian partners are very much aware of the need to prevent and fight corruption as a means to build trust, not least to ensure international support. Even during these very difficult months, the fight against corruption continues with even more dedication. The Ukrainian people will no longer tolerate the old practices of corrupt behavior”, the EUACI Head noted.