State Department, Marshall Fund announce initiative to rebuild Ukrainian cities

That's according to a statement posted on the website of the Department of State, Ukrinform reports.

"The State Department and the GMF will collaborate to bring key stakeholders, technical experts, and funding partners to the UCP effort, capitalizing on the energy and ingenuity of businesses and the private sector, universities, non-governmental organizations, and foundations," the statement said.

Serving as the UCP Secretariat, GMF will forge new transatlantic partnerships, programs, and alliances between European and American entities in order to aid the recovery and redevelopment of up to three Ukrainian cities. In the process, UCP will help empower a new generation of Ukrainian city officials, urban planners, architects, engineers, and construction teams to build back better using sustainable methods.

The UCP will engage and coordinate with the Government of Ukraine, the European Union (EU) and its member states, multilateral development banks, and bilateral donors to help the beneficiary cities find the resources they need to rebuild. Conceived as a three-year initiative, UCP will be formally launched at June's Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin and will sunset when the cities are ready to break ground.

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