Norfolk County Council leader Councillor David Bick has visited Ukraine to show solidarity with its people and strengthen links between Norfolk and the Lviv Region.
Cllr Bick began his visit in Lviv by joining the daily minute’s silence held at 9am to honour those who have died fighting for Ukraine.
Describing the moment as “very poignant”, he said everything and everyone came to a silent stop as the city remembered those who had lost their lives.
He then attended a memorial ceremony at Lychakiv Cemetery, where he laid flowers at the grave of a 26-year-old Ukrainian medic who had died serving her country.
Cllr Bick was asked to lay flowers alongside Maksym Kozytskyy, Governor of the Lviv Regional State Military Administration, and Yurii Kholod, elected Chairman of Lviv Regional Council.
The grave was among more than 1,200 military graves at the cemetery. Cllr Bick said he was particularly struck by the age of the young medic, who had made a last will and testament in anticipation of the possibility that she might lose her life.
“The image of the flag-bedecked and superbly well-kept graves will never leave me,” he said.
Cllr Bick also restated Norfolk’s support for the people of the Lviv Region and Ukraine as the country continues to defend its independence.
“The Ukrainian people fight not just for themselves, but also for the freedom of all of Europe,” he said.
“Ukraine is on the front line and they deserve our unswerving support and admiration.”
The visit also provided an opportunity to discuss how the relationship between Norfolk and Lviv could be strengthened.
Cllr Bick met with Governor Kozytskyy and Cllr Kholod at the regional administration offices, where they discussed a range of potential areas for closer cooperation.
These included establishing a joint economic forum, developing sector exchanges covering manufacturing, energy production, agritech, culture and tourism, and further expanding the existing Memorandum of Understanding between Norfolk and the Lviv Region.
The meeting also highlighted some sporting common ground, with Cllr Bick discovering that Governor Kozytskyy is a Liverpool FC supporter as well as following FC Karpaty Lviv, which currently tops the Ukrainian Premier League.
The visit comes as Norfolk continues to develop its relationship with the Lviv Region, combining practical cooperation with a show of solidarity for people living through the ongoing war.
