Nataliya Klymko works in the Growth & Investment department at Norfolk County Council. On the eve of Independence Day of Ukraine (August 24), she talks of forging links between her native region of Lviv and Norfolk – and her hopes for her country
Who are you and what do you do?
I am part of the Growth & Investment department at Norfolk County Council where I manage and coordinate multiple business support programmes and projects, including the recently launched Norfolk-Lviv region cooperation project, helping grow the local economy and improving its inward investment potential. I have been living in Norfolk for over 14 years having moved here from Lviv.
What career did you have back home?
I was holding a variety of roles across different sectors, but my interest was in business management and foreign investments. One of my favourite roles was being the Manager of a regional branch of the largest business community in Ukraine by managing it on a day-to-day- basis and making it the largest and the most successful regional Branch. I was building close relations with local authorities, diplomatic institutions and other partners to help lobby the interest of our members. The organisation was acting as a platform for its members to discuss common problems and issues facing business in Ukraine. Later I became a Board member of the branch helping to steer its further growth and success. I was also the Director of a group of companies with foreign investments working in the property development, management and consultancy sectors where I enjoyed managing all stages of the business life cycle starting from registering new entities to closing/liquidating some of them. I was responsible for all operational aspects of the businesses. That Ukrainian experience is very useful in my current role delivering business support projects and the Norfolk-Lviv region cooperation.
What do you love about living in Norwich?
Norwich is a compact and beautiful city with rich history and key infrastructure and it’s not far from a beach (only about 30 mins). It has nearly everything a resident might be interested in. I like exploring the city by walking along cobblestone streets (these streets remind me of my home city), walking along a river, and enjoying a cup of coffee at a cosy café.
Are there any similarities between Lviv and Norwich, in your opinion?
Norwich is smaller than Lviv, but there are some similarities indeed. Both cities are administrative centres of their regions, they have a rich history, culture and interesting architecture, they also share a passion for food and drink. They also have local accents and there are some words only used or understood by locals. Both cities have an international airport, and I wish one day there will be a direct flight from Norwich to Lviv.
You have family in Lviv – what has it been like, watching the conflict unfold in Ukraine?
It has been a terrifying experience… I started monitoring news about the potential invasion months before the 24th of February 2022, but I could not even imagine that the aggressor would be attacking the whole country reaching the Western part. It has been incredibly hard witnessing the full-scale invasion being so far away from my loved ones. I remember that first morning being woken up at 5am by one of my nieces crying down the telephone and saying “the war has started”. Immediately after, I phoned my parents and other family members to check how they were… During the first few weeks and even months there were lots of tears, fears and uncertainties about my family, including my late disabled dad, their health, life, access to essential services, but I had to stay strong for them and offer the maximum support I could, including dealing with UK visas for them. Thankfully, during that period, I was receiving lots of support and love from my British relatives, friends and colleagues who were ready to open their homes for my family coming to the UK. Unfortunately, one month after the invasion my father passed away, the whole situation was too stressful and did not help him to recover after his latest complex operation. This added extra worries for my family at that time.
How did you feel when you attended the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Lviv and Norfolk?
It was an honour to witness the ceremony. I was very proud and happy to be part of this process supporting my colleagues and partners making the event happen. I was also getting very excited thinking of potential areas of cooperation between my two home regions and realising that finally both regions will be “mapped” by locals, and regions potential will be identified individually rather than in association with their countries.
What do you hope will come out of the agreement?
This is a five-year agreement focusing on multiple areas of cooperation beneficial for both regions as they have so much to offer to each other. Since the signing of the MoU, we have already conducted numerous joint fruitful meetings and calls with Lviv region partners identifying priority areas of cooperation for the nearest future, which includes the agriculture, healthcare, tech, education, science, arts and culture sectors. I hope we will be able to identify relevant partners for the above key sectors, make introductions, explore opportunities of cooperation, develop and implement some joint projects or initiatives. I am sure more news will
follow in due course. All these steps will increase the profile of Norfolk, promote Lviv region opportunities, and, at the same time, support and grow both local economies. We have already hosted a small Lviv delegation visiting Norfolk during the Royal Norfolk Show making contacts with relevant stakeholders. I am very excited about the upcoming performance of the Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine at the Norwich Theatre Royal at the beginning of October, which will strengthen cultural ties between the cities.
What are your hopes for your home country?
Initially, Peace for Ukraine and returning of all its temporarily occupied territories back to its sovereign borders, followed by rebuilding of the country with the help of international and domestic partners, and returning Ukrainians from abroad. I hope Ukraine will become a better and stronger country than before, as so many lessons at a very high cost have been learnt, but I understand this will take years. I want all Ukrainians to be happy and free again, live without fear and be able to plan their long-term future.
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