On the sidelines of the Carpathian 8 Summit, the Head of the Lviv Regional State Administration, Maksym Kozytskyy, met with the President of the Federal Council of Austria, Christine Schwarz-Fuchs. First and foremost, the partners discussed the challenges currently facing the Lviv region and how Austria can support the region.

According to the Head of the Lviv region, one of the key areas of potential assistance is deepening economic cooperation.

“Due to the full-scale war, enterprises from the east and other regions of Ukraine continue to relocate to the Lviv region. It is important not only to help them resume operations but also to create conditions for them to stay, expand production, and create new jobs. To achieve this, we must simultaneously support the Ukrainian businesses already operating here and attract new investments,” noted Maksym Kozytskyy. 

Currently, 93 enterprises with Austrian capital are registered in the region, operating in processing and light industries, packaging production, the food industry, services, IT, and trade.

“We see opportunities for a greater presence of Austrian businesses in energy, transport and logistics, mechanical engineering, metalworking, construction, and digital infrastructure,” added the Head of the Lviv Regional State Administration.

He also emphasized the importance of a dignified return of Ukrainian defenders to civilian life. The reintegration of veterans encompasses opportunities for employment, starting and developing their own businesses, grant support, and access to necessary services. This is an area the region is already actively working on, and it requires reinforcement from our partners.

The parties also specifically discussed internally displaced persons (IDPs). The Lviv region continues to receive IDPs, making the creation of proper conditions in temporary accommodation centers one of our top priorities. This could become another avenue for international cooperation.

Maksym Kozytskyy proposed that the Austrian side establish a partnership based on Ukraine's first University Hospital of the Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University.

Austria has strong expertise in university medicine, encompassing specialist training, hospital management, and the integration of healthcare, education, and science. Ukrainian medical professionals, in turn, have gained unique experience working under the conditions of                     a full-scale war. Such a partnership would be highly valuable for medical experts in both countries.

A significant part of the conversation was dedicated to European integration.

“Changes are already taking place at the level of our region and communities. We are reforming the school catering system. We are developing transport links with the European Union, building a European-gauge railway, and working on the development of routes and border infrastructure. We are removing physical and institutional barriers between the Lviv region and the EU,” explained Maksym Kozytskyy.

In May of this year, the Lviv region and the federal state of Lower Austria signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in energy, medicine, education, infrastructure, and reconstruction. As the Head of the region noted, the meeting with the President of the Federal Council of Austria is the next important step in deepening the partnership with Austria.               The Lviv region is ready to adopt Austrian experience, technology, and expertise. At the same time, the region is ready to share the experience our specialists, communities, medical professionals, and businesses have gained during the years of the full-scale war.

The Head of the LvivRegional State Administration also thanked President Schwarz-Fuchs for the substantive meeting.

“We expect this dialogue to continue in the form of new joint projects and a long-term partnership,” he noted.