On June 11, 2019 representatives of the city council, PLEDDG Project, “Melitopol Development Agency” and the city’s higher educational establishments met in the conference hall of the Administrative Service Centre to discuss issues specific to the use of “Melitopol Investor’s Guide” brochure and other tools for attracting investments into the development of the city. Among other key figures the discussion was attended by the First Deputy Head of Melitopol municipal council Iryna Rudakova.   At the beginning of the workshop, the Senior Expert in Intergovernmental Cooperation and Economic Development of PLEDDG Project Oleksandr Ignatenko offered an introduction into the activities of the project of international technical assistance financed by the Canadian government.

He emphasised that the Project aims to assist in matters specific to local economic development, investment, and promoting entrepreneurship. In addition to that a key task of the Project is to adopt better standards of attracting investment, develop a strategy and program for attracting investment, create investment portals and passports, and support investment funds, conferences, and workshops.

On behalf of the Head of Melitopol municipal council the participants of the meeting were welcomed by First Deputy Head Iryna Rudakova.She stressed that the project plays a central and systemic role in the development of the city making Melitopol more modern and advanced. Iryna Rudakova thanked the guests, who included international Canadian expert on economic development Kent McMullin, PLEDDG Senior Expert in Intergovernmental Cooperation and Economic Development Oleksandr Ignatenko, and partners from the city of Berdiansk, for their friendly contribution.

Iryna Volodymyrivna added that the vote for the Melitopol Development Strategy 2030, which had been developed in cooperation with PLEDDG Project representatives, was scheduled for the following session of Melitopol city council. After that the city intends to elaborate a marketing strategy for promoting exports of goods by Melitopol producers to include the development of Melitopol city investment portal and city passport.

During the workshop Canadian expert on economic development Kent McMullin shared some of Canada’s experience of creating tools for territorial marketing and attracting investment into city development, and after that the participants discussed the content and structure of the key sections of “Melitopol Investor’s Guide” brochure, defined the role of “Melitopol Development Agency” in the improvement of investment climate, and approved the schedule for preparing information and creating the brochure.