BETEN International organized for Mariupol city council a working visit to France, which concerned projects for the seafront development and drinking water supply in Mariupol. The delegation composed of Mr Vadym BOICHENKO, Mariupol mayor, and Mr Sergiy ZAKHAROV, deputy mayor in charge of territory development and infrastructures, went first to Dunkirk and then to Paris.
The aim of the visit to Dunkirk was to become aware of French best practices in seafront development and increasing tourist attractiveness of industrial and port cities. The city of Dunkirk was chosen considering several similarities with Mariupol: location at the seashore, port, iron and steel works. The delegation met with representatives of the port and Dunkirk Urban Community. Delegates also visited the city’s port and seafront.
From left to right: Dominique LAMMIN, Chargé d’affaires at the Port of Dunkirk; David LEFRANC, Director for Development and Environment at the Port of Dunkirk; Olesia ONATS, BETEN International Interpreter; Vadym BOICHENKO, Mariupol Mayor; Jean ROCHE, BETEN International President
Mariupol mayor then carried out a visit to the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) where he met representatives of the Delegation for the External Action of Local Government (DAECT), the National Commission for Decentralized Cooperation (CNCD) and real estate development companies of La Rochelle. This visit concerned the development of decentralized cooperation between Mariupol (Ukraine’s side) and La Rochelle and Dunkirk (France’s side) in the framework of Mariupol seafront development project, which is a national priority supported by the Ukrainian President Mr. Volodymyr ZELENSKY.
From left to right: Jean-Yves HAZOUME, Officer in charge of Decentralized Cooperation with Eastern Europe countries at the MEAE; Didier ROBINEAU, Head of real estate development companies Eurotim and Mediatim Promotion in La Rochelle, Vice-President of the Federation of real estate developers (FPI) Aquitaine Poitou-Charentes; Olesia ONATS, BETEN International Interpreter; Christine MORO, Delegate for the External Action of Local Government (DAECT), Secretary General of the National Commission for Decentralized Cooperation (CNCD) at the MEAE; Vadym BOICHENKO, Mariupol Mayor; Jean ROCHE, BETEN International President
In the framework of Mariupol water supply project, funded by the French state, the mayor also met with representatives of the Directorate General of the Treasury of the French Ministry of the Economy and Finance. The meeting participants discussed the progress of the project, the stages and modalities of its implementation as well as the geopolitical situation in Ukraine as a whole. This project of 64 million euros, allocated by France under a concessional loan, is vital for Mariupol, because it will provide quality drinking water to 560,000 inhabitants of the city by mobilizing French companies in the area of engineering (BETEN) and construction of a reverse osmosis water treatment plant (STEREAU).
From left to right: Pierre SENTENAC, Head of Mission at the Directorate General of the Treasury (DGT); Pauline CALLEC, Deputy Head of Direct Financing Unit at the Directorate General of the Treasury (DGT); Olivier FAUSTINI, Expert of the French Ministry of the Economy and Finance; Arnaud THIESSE, STEREAU International Director; Jean ROCHE, BETEN International President; Vadym BOICHENKO, Mariupol Mayor
