Initiated by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the inaugural Carpathian 8 Summit has begun, uniting representatives of eight states that share the Carpathian region.

As noted by the Head of the Lviv Regional Military Administration, Maksym Kozytskyy, the participating countries share transport and trade routes, energy networks, as well as enterprises and communities facing similar challenges.

“The mission of the C8 is to transform this potential into projects, investments, and stronger economic cooperation,” Maksym Kozytskyy emphasized.

According to him, Europe already has established cooperation formats built around shared macro-regions, particularly the Baltic, Danube, Adriatic-Ionian, and Alpine regions. This approach enables states to jointly tackle issues that extend beyond individual national borders.

“The Carpathian region must also attain such a cooperation format at the EU level,” the Head of the Lviv region noted.

An important component of the C8 goes beyond interstate collaboration. The initiative actively involves regions, territorial communities, businesses, investors, and youth. The Lviv region is represented across all these levels.

Among the opportunities the region offers to international partners are 18 industrial parks, ready-made production sites, a robust processing industry, extensive logistics capabilities, and direct access to the European Union market.

Within the framework of this cooperation, special focus is placed on investing in mountainous communities-specifically advancing their infrastructure, tourism, and local businesses.

“We are here for concrete results. The Carpathians are our shared geography. Let us also make them a space for joint development,” Maksym Kozytskyy underscored.