Post by Oleksandr Roytburg

Today I want to share news that is important not only for the Odesa region, but for the whole of Ukraine. In October 2024, I, as Ambassador of the City of Odesa and the Regional Development Agency of Odesa Oblast, met with the Executive Director of SECI — the South East European Cooperation Initiative — Michael Joseph Fazekas. This acquaintance did not remain just a contact — it became the beginning of real cooperation and further steps that brought concrete results. After that, Michael Joseph Fazekas personally visited the Odesa region: meetings were held with the leadership of Odesa Oblast and the city of Odesa. We discussed in detail the problems our region is facing today, first of all — the consequences of strikes on energy infrastructure and the need for reliable backup solutions. And already in 2025, Odesa and Odesa Oblast received the first assistance from Austria. For us, this was not a formal gesture of support, but real, tangible help where it is truly needed. And today an event of national significance took place. As officially announced by the Minister for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine, Oleksiy Kuleba, Ukraine received 300 generators from SECI to provide backup electricity supply to regions affected by strikes. The Minister also noted that the total capacity of this batch is 1.6 MW, and its value exceeds 417 thousand euros. I would like to emphasize separately: of these 300 generators, 50 were allocated to Odesa Oblast — our region, which endures every day and at the same time continues to live, work and help others. I sincerely thank SECI and personally Michael Joseph Fazekas, as well as all partners involved in this work. Such examples show that international cooperation is not just words, but concrete decisions that support people and strengthen the resilience of the country. 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦 No empty talk — only real actions! 🔥🔥🔥