Ukraine war revives Finland’s fading town-twinning ties

Finnish municipalities now have at least 30 town-twinning partnerships in Ukraine, up from three before 2022, as Russia’s invasion revived a form of cooperation that had been fading, Yle reports.

The number is expected to grow, with several municipalities negotiating new agreements. Finnish municipalities have around 900 twinned towns and cities worldwide in total.

The Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities’ director of international affairs, Laura Parsama, said agreements with Ukrainian municipalities show solidarity and commitment to long-term cooperation. Finnish municipalities have sent practical aid, including vehicles, hospital supplies, clothes and generators.

The partnerships can also build connections that may help Finnish businesses meet Ukraine’s reconstruction needs. Parsama said Ukrainian expertise in resilience and preparedness is of particular interest to Finnish municipalities.

Jyväskylä’s city government decided on Monday to establish a twinning partnership with Chernivtsi, a city in western Ukraine with about 265,000 residents. Many people displaced from elsewhere in Ukraine have moved there during the war.

The partnership began after Chernivtsi Mayor Roman Klichuk contacted Jyväskylä this summer. The preparation also involved the Association of Ukrainians in Finland, the Ukrainian Embassy in Finland and the University of Jyväskylä.

Both cities are university centres and regional hubs. Their planned areas of cooperation include education, research, technology, energy efficiency, culture, and the wellbeing of children and young people.

Jyväskylä says the relationship should benefit both cities. It has set aside about 10,000 euros for the Chernivtsi partnership next year, out of an annual budget of 13,000 euros for all its town-twinning activities.

Kuopio is also preparing a twinning agreement with Chernivtsi. The cities plan to coordinate their cooperation and arrange visits in alternate years.