The excitement of the 7th General Assembly of the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly, which will be hosted by İzmir on 8-13 November, has gripped. The council members who came to Izmir for the General Assembly emphasized the importance of the meeting. “For these two days, Izmir will be the capital of local dialogue in the Mediterranean,” said Joseph Canals Molina, MedCities Secretary General.
The 13th General Assembly of the Europe-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM), which was established to encourage the cooperation of local governments in the north and south of the Mediterranean, starts tomorrow (7 November). The general assembly to be held in İzmir Özdere will last for two days.
Members of the council who came to Izmir for the General Assembly emphasized the importance of the meeting. Mediterranean Cities Network (MedCities) Secretary General Joseph Canals Molina said that the 13th General Assembly of ARLEM is a clear sign that despite the challenges, local and regional cooperation is on the agenda and is needed more than ever. Molina continued: “ARLEM was founded thirteen years ago in Barcelona and we feel very close to this organization of which we are a founding member. President of MedCities in Parliament Tunç Soyer and his commitment to Mediterranean relations both strengthens MedCities' role in ARLEM and conveys a strong message of dialogue and cooperation. During these two days, Izmir will be the capital of local dialogue in the Mediterranean. We are proud to support these efforts.” said.
The aim is to raise the voices of local and regional authorities.
Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Deputy Secretary General Dr. Abdelkader El Khissassi stated that he believes the meeting will be productive. Mayor of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality and Member of the Board of Directors of the Mediterranean Cities Network (MedCities) under the roof of ARLEM Tunç Soyer Expressing that he would be honored to meet with Khissassi, Khissassi said, “ARLEM and UfM have been collaborating for a long time to strengthen the local and regional dimension of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership and to raise the voices of local and regional authorities in the Mediterranean region. Our overall goal is to create a peaceful, stable and safe space.”
Bakoyannis: Meeting represents a big step
Athens Mayor Costas Bakoyannis said that initiatives with such great potential to bring Mediterranean cities closer, better and further forward are encouraging. “The meeting represents a major step towards enhancing political dialogue and interregional cooperation around the three shores of our common sea, strengthening inclusive democratic processes and consolidating resilient cities in the Mediterranean, especially in these times of crisis and turmoil,” Bakoyannis said.
There are also panel meetings.
Panel meetings on “Inclusive and resilient cities in the Mediterranean” and “Climate action in the Mediterranean” will be held at the meeting. In addition, "innovation ecosystems and start-ups in the Mediterranean as a way to get rid of the COVID-19 crisis", "service and tourism sector" will be among the important topics of the meeting. Within the scope of the meeting, a young local entrepreneurship award ceremony in the Mediterranean, where applications were made from Izmir, will also be held.
43 members from 80 countries
ARLEM brings together 43 members and 80 observers from 2 countries in the EU and the Mediterranean. ARLEM members are elected officials with regional or local authority. ARLEM has memberships of the municipalities of Selçuk, Melikgazi, Mersin, Sarıçam, Balıkesir, representing Turkey, by the Mediterranean Partner. İzmir is a member of ARLEM representing MedCities from the European Union quota.
Be the first to comment