ST Helier is to be twinned with the Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv following a meeting at the Town Hall on Wednesday night.
A number of Islanders, including members of the Ukrainian community, gathered at the Town Hall last night where they voted unanimously in favour of the motion proposed by St Helier Constable Simon Crowcroft.
He said that there were ‘a number of reasons in support of the twinning’ and stated that he had seen a ‘growing desire’ within the community to issue a show of support for war-torn Ukraine.
Mr Crowcroft added that there were also noticeable similarities between St Helier and Mykolaiv, with both located in the south of their respective jurisdictions and adding that they both have a zoo.
‘The Mayor of Mykolaiv and I have chatted over Zoom. I would have gone out there but I’m not as brave as [US President] Joe Biden,’ added the St Helier Constable.
Geraint Jennings, who since 2016 has been procureur du bien public for St Helier, stated that twinning projects developed after the Second World War.
‘When twinning projects were developed, they were not only to recognize former enemies such as Bad Wurzach in Germany, but also to twin towns which had suffered…with ones which had been spared.
‘I think adding to our portfolio of international friends adds a lot for us – we can do a lot for friends with twinning [projects].’
Speaking earlier this week, Mr Crowcroft said: ‘Parishioners have shown such incredible support for those impacted by the devastating conflict in Ukraine and this twinning would symbolise our ongoing connection and commitment to supporting the people of Ukraine and, in particular, the residents of Mykolaiv.’
Mykolaiv is a major shipbuilding port in the south of the country, with a pre-war population of 470,000. It is also part of Ukraine’s agricultural region. The town’s digital sector was flourishing before the invasion and Mykolaiv has a range of educational and cultural institutions.
Friday marks the one-year anniversary of the Ukraine invasion.
