RIGA, June 3 (LETA) - Representatives of the Valmiera municipality and the Cherkasy municipality of Ukraine met online on Thursday to start establishing sister ties between the two cities, Dzintars Mocs, the municipality's communication and public relations specialist, told LETA.

Since the Russian invasion, the city and region of Valmiera have been actively involved in providing assistance to Ukraine by sending humanitarian aid and and taking in Ukrainian refugees. Among the hundreds of refugees who have taken refuge in Valmiera are youth basketball players from Cherkasy.

Janis Baiks, Chairman of the Valmiera City Council, points out that during the online meeting with the Mayor of Cherkasy Anatoliy Bondarenko and his team, the possibilities of wider cooperation between the two municipalities in the field of sports, education, culture and business was discussed.

"We agreed that Ukraine is currently fighting not only for its own freedom, but also for the freedom of Latvia and the whole of Europe. On behalf of Latvia, I expressed strong support for Ukraine and our determination to help it in various ways to ensure victory," Baiks said.

Bondarenko thanked Valmiera and the people of Latvia for their support of Ukraine in the struggle for freedom. The mayor said the Cherkasy region is not currently in the war zone. He thanked Valmiera for the offer of assistance, but pointed out that this assistance is much more necessary for the cities and districts destroyed in the war.

The city of Cherkasy has also been active in providing assistance to the war-affected regions and has hosted several thousand refugees. At the end of the meeting, the leaders of the two municipalities agreed on a mutual interest in continuing to build sister city links between the cities.

Baiks invited a delegation from the Cherkasy municipality to attend the celebrations of Valmiera's 739th anniversary from July 22 to 24.