Zaporizhzhia to establish a partnership with Chattanooga, U.S.

After several months of email communication, officials of the two cities had an online call to greet each other and discuss a possible partnership.

The meeting was arranged by the Office of Mayor, City of Chattanooga, and the City Development Institute of Zaporizhzhia. Mr. Anatolii Kuritev, a city council secretary and acting mayor of Zaporizhzhia, joined the meeting to meet American colleagues and speak about the current situation in our frontline city.

Mr. Ellis Smith, a director of intergovernmental and external affairs of the Office of Mayor Tim Kelly, said he admired the bravery of Ukrainians and the people of Zaporizhzhia. He ensured, “Chattanoogans have big hearts. And there is a great love for Ukrainian people here”.

In his turn, Mr. Kurtiev expressed the most sincere gratitude to all the Americans and the U.S. Government for their solidarity and continuing support of our country. As Mr. Smith noted in a discussion, this is the fight for freedom, which our two nations equally understand and value.

Chattanooga is a city in Tennessee, U.S. Though having a smaller population than Zaporizhzhia, Chattanooga has a similar area size. The two cities have much in common: both are located on big rivers, with a hydroelectric power station right in the city, and both are close to nuclear power plants, too. Like Zaporizhzhia, Chattanooga is known for its manufacturing and service industries. However, there are lots of experience and expertise that Zaporizhzhia can learn from the U.S. city.

We look forward to further communication and cooperation with the city of Chattanooga. The next step will be exchanging ideas for humanitarian or other projects. We believe this partnership will be fruitful and mutually beneficial.