Barcelona to support war-hit Kharkiv in new partnership

Barcelona City Council has signed a cooperation agreement with the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv to help it "restore public services and strengthen urban resilience in order to improve the wellbeing of its residents."

The accord, signed on Tuesday at Barcelona City Hall by Mayor Jaume Collboni and his Kharkiv counterpart, Ihor Terekhov, commits both cities to strengthening ties to promote dialogue and collaboration, and sharing initiatives that support citizens' wellbeing.

Kharkiv, located in northeastern Ukraine just 30 kilometers from the Russian border, is the country's second-largest city and has been one of the main centers of resistance since the start of the war.

According to Barcelona City Council, the Ukrainian city is dealing with severe destruction of essential infrastructure and major difficulties in accessing basic health and energy services.

Under the agreement, the two cities will exchange expertise in areas such as public transport development, digital technologies in municipal management, energy, water supply and sanitation, youth and cultural policies, education, inclusion, and child protection.