In January 2026, a working meeting was held at the Sumy City Council with the participation of representatives of the Mayors’ Club and Economy of Trust Ukraine, dedicated to expanding the municipality’s investment opportunities. 

During the meeting, the participants discussed strategic approaches to attracting international investors, building trust as an economic resource, as well as tools to strengthen the ьmunicipality’s institutional capacity. Particular attention was paid to creating a transparent investment environment, developing partnerships with businesses, and preparing high-quality project proposals for international funding programs.

Yuliya Chufistova, Member of the Presidium of the Mayors’ Club and Director of the Ukrainian Municipal Economic Development Agency (UMEDA), outlined the key areas of the organization’s activities and emphasized the importance of systematic cooperation with municipalities in developing investment passports and identifying priority sectors for growth. In turn, Henry Shterenberg, CEO of Economy of Trust Ukraine and Chair of the Investment Committee of the Mayors’ Club, presented approaches based on the principles of trust, openness, and active partnership as the foundation for sustainable economic growth.

All participants of the meeting stressed that consolidating the efforts of local authorities, the expert municipality, and civic initiatives creates the prerequisites for forming a new model of municipality development – one focused on investment, innovation, and international cooperation.