21/02/2025 (Agence Europe) – On Thursday 20 February, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) presented Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, with the ‘Paweł Adamowicz’ award in recognition of his leadership and commitment to citizen participation, despite the Russian-led war in Ukraine. The prize was presented by CoR President Kata Tüttő, in the presence of Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos. Awarded for the fourth time, the prize was created by the CoR in cooperation with the city of Gdańsk and the International Network of Cities of Refuge (ICORN). It is awarded to local leaders who combat intolerance, radicalisation, hate speech and xenophobia. The jury also decided to award a special mention to Bassam Aramin and Rami Elhanan, Palestinian and Israeli community leaders working towards reconciliation between the two communities. (LC)