Kyiv Mayor Vityli Klitschko met with the Mayor of Kyiv's sister city Vilnius, Valdas Benkunskas, and a delegation from the Lithuanian capital who visited Kyiv.

“I am very pleased to welcome true friends to Kyiv. The relations between our cities have always been a partnership based on support and respect for each other. Back in 1991, the capitals of Ukraine and Lithuania signed an agreement on cooperation and development of friendly and business relations. When a full-scale war broke out in Ukraine, you were among the first to come to help us. In particular, thanks to the generators, charging stations and other assistance you have been sending all this time, we have been able to provide critical infrastructure with energy during emergencies after the air attacks. It is not for nothing that Vilnius was awarded the honorary title of “City-Savior” - for the significant assistance of the city authorities and residents of the Lithuanian capital to Ukraine from the first days of Russia's military aggression,” Vitali Klitschko said.

The Mayor of Kyiv reminded that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Vilnius has sheltered more than 30 thousand Ukrainian citizens fleeing the war. This is 6-7% of the population of the Lithuanian capital.

“According to the decision of the Vilnius City Council, Ukrainians who were forced to leave their homes have the right to use public transport, attend cultural and educational institutions, and receive medical care free of charge in the same way as Lithuanian citizens,” said Vitali Klitschko.

He thanked the leadership and residents of Vilnius for their comprehensive support and assistance. He expressed confidence that Kyiv and Vilnius would continue to cooperate effectively in the economic sphere, in the reconstruction of Ukrainian cities and towns, and in the cultural sphere.

The mayors of Kyiv and Vilnius honored the memory of the Heroes-Defenders by laying flowers at the Memorial to the fallen Kyiv Defenders at the intersection of Mykhailo Hrushevsky Street and Magdeburg Law Alley. They also took a walk along the Glass Bridge, St. Volodymyr's Hill, and Mykhailivska Square.

It should be noted that since the beginning of the full-scale war, Vilnius has donated 20 generators, gas stoves with cylinders, batteries, chargers, flashlights, thermal clothing and other aid to Kyiv.