Ukrainian Kopychyntsi and Bozeman, Montana Officially Become Sister Cities

On September 22, Kopychyntsi in Ukraine’s Ternopil region and Bozeman, Montana, officially signed an Agreement on Territorial Cooperation. But this partnership did not begin with a document – it is built on four years of working together.

Over this time, Bozeman residents have raised funds for Kopychyntsi, while American volunteers have travelled to Ukraine, supported the local hospital and delivered medical equipment. Architects and Montana State University have also joined the cooperation, and one volunteer from Bozeman even stayed to live in Kopychyntsi.

The two municipalities decided to formalize a partnership that was already working in practice and join the Cities4Cities network. They identified four areas for future cooperation: economic development, education, local governance and veteran support.

The agreement was signed in Bozeman during a visit by the Kopychyntsi delegation to the United States through the Open World program. The program is administered by the Congressional Office for International Leadership (COIL), with organizational support for the visit provided by American Councils for International Education, the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine and Cities4Cities.

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I’m overflowing with pride and gratitude; proud of the work we are doing together and grateful to have an opportunity to share our story. Here are my sentiments from the article: “While our municipalities have different histories and circumstances, we also recognize something familiar in each other: a connection to the surrounding countryside, pride in local enterprise, and a desire for young people to see a future in the place they call home. Those shared hopes give us a strong foundation for cooperation.”

Brit Fontenot   Director of Economic Development