On September 3, a delegation of the Generalitat of Catalonia arrived in Kyiv, led by President of the Generalitat Salvador Illa i Roca. The delegation also included the Counsellor (Minister) for EU and External Action of Catalonia Jaume Duch Guillot. The two-day visit is devoted to launching direct partnerships between Catalonia and Ukrainian regions, as well as expanding cooperation in the areas of healthcare, energy and reconstruction.
The main outcome of the first day of the visit was the formalisation of institutional relations with Ukrainian regions. The delegation held a meeting with Ukraine's Minister for Communities, Territories and Internally Displaced Persons Vitalii Bezhin, during which the priorities of community recovery and the role of the regional level in this process were discussed. With the Minister's participation, three documents were signed between Catalonia and the leadership of Ukrainian regions: memoranda of understanding with Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions, and a letter of intent with Lviv region.
The signed documents establish a political and institutional framework for long-term cooperation. They cover healthcare, energy, economic development, science and innovation, the reconstruction of critical infrastructure and the restoration of basic services. A separate provision is made for a programme to strengthen the institutional capacity of Ukrainian regions, including with regard to accessing EU structural and cohesion funds and adapting to European legislation.
"Interregional cooperation is one of the most effective tools for Ukraine's recovery. A direct partnership between Catalonia and our regions means not one-off assistance, but sustainable cooperation with concrete projects, experience-sharing and preparing regions for European integration. These agreements also strengthen the role of Ukrainian regions as independent participants in European cooperation," said Ambassador of Ukraine to Spain Yuliia Sokolovska, who is accompanying the visit.
The delegation of the Generalitat of Catalonia was received by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. During the meeting, the discussion focused on support for Ukraine in countering Russian aggression, European integration, and the involvement of Spain's regions in reconstruction processes. Special attention was paid to the potential of interregional cooperation as a practical mechanism for the recovery of communities most affected by the war, and for strengthening the representation of Ukrainian regions in European institutional networks.
The partnership with the regions also has a financial dimension. Catalonia had previously announced a contribution of €800,000 to the UN Humanitarian Fund for Ukraine, designated for emergency humanitarian response in priority regions, and this contribution is being formalised during the visit. In addition, Catalonia is directing €200,000 through the Association of Local Democracy Agencies (ALDA) as part of the new CURA project — the Catalonia-Ukraine Resilience Alliance. These funds are intended to strengthen the energy resilience of Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk and Lviv regions, including through the procurement of generators and necessary equipment for local and regional authorities, as well as building regional capacity in energy transition and reconstruction. The project envisages support for the network of local democracy agencies in Ukraine and the establishment of a new agency in Lviv.
Representatives of the Generalitat of Catalonia visited the National Children's Specialised Hospital "Okhmatdyt", which was damaged as a result of a Russian missile strike on July 8, 2024. The delegation learned about the consequences of the attack, the progress of reconstruction and restoration of the hospital, and visited its medical units. The parties discussed the expansion of the medical partnership with the Barcelona children's hospital Sant Joan de Déu, where Ukrainian medical professionals have already undertaken internships.
Medical cooperation remains one of the most developed areas of interaction. Catalan hospitals have treated Ukrainian military personnel and civilian patients with combat injuries; hospital beds, ventilators and other equipment have been transferred to Ukrainian medical facilities; and Ukrainian doctors have undertaken internships at Catalan institutions, including the Guttmann Institute.
During the visit, the launch was announced of a specialised training programme for Ukrainian medical professionals in the fields of reconstructive surgery, treatment of severe trauma, amputations and prosthetics, severe burns, and psychological trauma. The President of the Generalitat of Catalonia emphasised that the cooperation should be bilateral: Catalonia is ready not only to share its own and Spanish experience, but is also interested in learning from Ukraine's unique experience gained by medical professionals in wartime conditions.
Alongside the Generalitat delegation, a delegation from Barcelona City Hall led by Mayor Jaume Collboni is also visiting Ukraine. As part of this visit, the Mayor of Barcelona and Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko renewed the bilateral cooperation agreement between the cities, covering energy resilience, accessibility, urban development, education, healthcare, culture, transport and public safety. Barcelona also transferred a consignment of equipment and vehicles for Kyiv's fire and rescue service, and since 2023 Kyiv has held the status of a priority city in Barcelona's municipal grant programme for civil society organisations.
Ukraine highly values Catalonia's support and its solidarity with the Ukrainian people. The agreements reached demonstrate that this support is transitioning into a format of sustainable institutional partnership oriented towards the recovery of Ukrainian regions and their path towards the EU.
Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine; Salvador Illa Roca / X; Ministry for Communities, Territories and Internally Displaced Persons of Ukraine; Kyiv City State Administration.