On September 13, 2023, the cities of Vannes (Brittany, France) and Konotop (Sumy region, Ukraine) forged a friendship that promises to be enduring.
On this memorable day, mayors David Robo and Artem Semenikhin finally met in person after many warm email exchanges and moving videoconferences.
Although the mayor of Konotop could only stay for a few hours due to the long return journey, the most important thing is that many joint projects are already being developed. Among them is the hosting of young people from Konotop whose parents have been victims of the Russian war. While it is delicate to describe this as a vacation for these young people, the primary goal of the trip is to offer them a moment of respite and peace.
Protecting children is paramount, and in recent months, many communities in France and across Europe have been mobilizing to give Ukrainian children the chance to rediscover a peaceful and suitable life.
Hoping that the ties between Vannes and Konotop will only grow stronger in the future, we wish you many years of fruitful and enriching friendship!
