We must be a single voice for all our communities and eight countries to advocate for the region's shared interests: Vitalii Bezhin at the Carpathian Economic Forum

The Carpathian Integration Initiative should become the foundation for moving toward a new format — EUSCARP, the EU Strategy for the Carpathian Region. This is not just about a shared vision for developing the Carpathians, but about a mechanism that will turn shared priorities into concrete projects and attract funding for them.

This was stated by Vitalii Bezhin, Minister for the Communities, Territories and Internally Displaced Persons, during the panel discussion "Carpathian Integration Initiative: Local and Regional Dimension." The event took place as part of the Economic Forum of the International Carpathian Initiative Summit.

"The Carpathians should be seen as a shared space for development, since the region's natural, economic and infrastructural ties are not limited by state borders. This calls for a common framework for developing the Carpathian macro-region — one that allows priorities to be coordinated, cross-border projects launched, and European funding attracted jointly," Vitalii Bezhin said.

This also requires a shift in Ukraine's approach to regional policy. The needs of communities vary significantly depending on their natural, socio-economic, demographic and other characteristics. State policy must therefore take into account the potential, challenges and real needs of communities — mountain communities included.

Notably, the Government has already decided to define functional types of territories in this context. This will allow a shift toward policy tailored to the specifics of particular regions. In particular, the State Regional Development Fund (SRDF) will use these functional territory types to determine areas of support.

Vitalii Bezhin placed particular emphasis on building the Carpathian macro-region from the bottom up — through practical cooperation between communities and regions across different countries. He also highlighted the Ministry's initiative to train 1,000 project managers for communities, who will help prepare and implement projects in line with European requirements, so that European funding opportunities are accessible not only to large centers but also to smaller communities.

By the end of 2027, Ukraine and partner countries are expected to reach a decision in Brussels on the format of cooperation in the Carpathian region. The next step should be including the Carpathian region in the EU budget for 2028–2034.

To achieve this goal, Vitalii Bezhin proposed three practical steps to participants:

• support the Joint Declaration and form a joint request to Brussels from the eight participating countries of the Summit;

• use Ukraine's chairmanship of the Carpathian Convention to strengthen ties with the upcoming EU Strategy;

• actively develop cross-border projects between regions and communities.

Background

The Economic Forum, held as part of the International Carpathian Initiative Summit, took place on September 18–19, 2026, in Bukovel. It brought together representatives from Carpathian region countries, state authorities and local governments, international organizations and businesses. The program focused on regional development and economic integration of the Carpathians, including cross-border infrastructure, energy, tourism, investment, and new economic opportunities.

The Carpathian Integration Initiative aims to deepen cooperation between regions of the Carpathian area, develop infrastructure links, drive economic growth, support Ukraine's recovery, and attract European funding instruments.