The Mayor of Kyiv Vitaliy Klitschko discussed with the members of the expert group on governance in metropolitan cities of the Council of Europe the topic of setting up the Kyiv agglomeration and thanked for the work done by the Council of Europe office.

The Mayor reminded that the capital authorities, together with the Association of Ukrainian Cities, commissioned a Council of Europe Office in Ukraine to conduct a professional review of the organizational and legal foundations for the establishment of the Kyiv agglomeration and the functioning of local self-government in the region.

"The question of creating a city agglomeration is especially relevant for Kyiv today. Since this format is the only possible effective solution of cooperation in common problems of socio-economic development of the capital and adjacent territorial communities of Kyiv region. Among them, such pressing problem as transport connections with the capital at peak hours, the transfer of industrial facilities outside the capital, environmental safety, engineering infrastructure and the development of social infrastructure of the suburban zone",  - said Vitaliy Klitschko.

The Mayor of Kyiv expressed the hope that the work carried out jointly with the Office of the Council of Europe in Ukraine and the Association of Ukrainian Cities will allow us to get a thorough conclusion about the prospects for the creation of the Kyiv agglomeration. And also - concrete recommendations for the improvement of the relevant legislation.

"Our next step should be to work out the draft Law of Ukraine "On agglomerations" and more intensive cooperation of territorial communities on the principle of equality and mutual benefit. I am convinced that the agglomeration will help not only to solve the problematic issues of socio-economic development but also outline its perspectives for the distant future", - said Vitaliy Klitschko.

In his comments to the journalists, he noted that the process of creating the Kyiv agglomeration requires several years.

"The question of the creation of large municipal agglomerations is extremely important not only for Ukraine but also for most countries. There are no models, there is a wide range of different opportunities which municipalities in your situation should approve. No standards or commitments. There is the only experience that you can use. And we are not to monitor or criticize anything here, our task is to share the experience of different countries", - said the representative of the Council of Europe Secretariat Daniel Popescu.