The mayors of Ostrava and Katowice signed a memorandum in Ostrava on 30 September 2026 to deepen cooperation between the two partner cities.
The mayor of Ostrava, Jan Dohnal (Spolu), and the mayor of Katowice, Marcin Krupa, signed a memorandum on closer cooperation between the two partner cities in Ostrava on 30 September 2026 [2][3].
Content of the memorandum
The memorandum names transport, mobility and cross-border accessibility, strategic planning, economic development, investment, science, research and innovation as areas of cooperation. The cities also want to cooperate in energy, technical infrastructure and the transformation of industrial and development areas, share data and experience, cooperate in education and culture, and present the region jointly [1][3].
Regular meetings are planned, along with the creation of working and expert groups. Each city will appoint a coordinator for ongoing communication. The document creates no new administrative structure and no legally enforceable obligations; it is a joint declaration of intent. It was signed in Czech, Polish and English versions and took effect with the signatures of both mayors [1].
Background
According to Info.cz, the transport and investment committees of the two cities met jointly in Ostrava for the first time in June 2026 and discussed, among other things, high-speed rail and the transport link between the Czech and Polish parts of the region. According to the same source, Katowice is the centre of a metropolis of 41 cities and municipalities with roughly 2.1 million inhabitants, while the Ostrava metropolitan area comprises 172 municipalities with about 982,000 inhabitants. The cities are roughly 70 kilometres apart as the crow flies [3].
Dohnal said that the memorandum is not the beginning of the cities' relationship but an agreement on its further development, and that both cities face similar problems, such as young people leaving. Krupa recalled that Katowice has partnership agreements with twelve cities and that cooperation with Ostrava had so far consisted mainly of culture and youth work [1][2][3].
Related articles: Katovice
Chronology
- — The mayors of Ostrava and Katowice signed a memorandum on closer cooperation between the two cities. Deník: Moravskoslezský kraj Ostravská Drbna
Sources
- Deník: Moravskoslezský kraj — 30 September 2026
- Ostravská Drbna — 30 September 2026
- Info.cz — 30 September 2026