President of TBB and IMM Ekrem İmamoğlu, spoke at the meeting titled ‘Tirana Urban Forum – Leadership for Livable Cities’ organized in Tirana by the B40 Presidential Cities Network, which he founded. İmamoğlu, who was called to the microphone by B40 Term President Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj with the words ‘our mentor’ and ‘our master’, said, “With its unique geography and strategic location, our region has been the intersection of civilizations throughout history. However, despite its rich heritage, the Balkans have often been associated with conflicts throughout history and have been known as the ‘powder keg of Europe’. Today, we are rewriting this narrative. Together, we are showcasing the Balkans as a rising star for investments, innovations and cooperation.”
Emphasizing that the world is in an environment of multiple crises, İmamoğlu said, “The Balkans are surrounded by conflicts and wars. The war in Ukraine has deeply shaken international stability and highlighted the importance of the territorial integrity of states. The tragedies in Gaza have underlined the need for a strong defense of human rights and justice. The conflict in Syria has resumed and has the potential to displace millions again. Civil wars, proxy wars, and humanitarian crises are testing the global order. Energy crises, escalating climate change, and ever-increasing natural disasters are further compounding these challenges, making resilience and sustainability critical priorities for our cities. Cities must do more than provide basic services; they must also shape a sustainable and resilient future. This is where platforms like B40 become indispensable.”
President of the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye (TBB) and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Ekrem İmamoğlu, traveled to Tirana, the capital of Albania, as part of the B40 Balkan Cities Network activities he founded. Accompanied by Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Cemil Tugay and Çanakkale Mayor Muharrem Erkek from B40 member cities, İmamoğlu was hosted in his office by B40 Term President Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj.
TIRANA MAYOR VELİAJ: “WE HAVE NOT SEEN SUCH CLOSE COOPERATION IN THE REGION SINCE THE SECOND WORLD WAR”
Stating that they did their best to grow B40, established under the leadership of İmamoğlu, Veliaj said, “Under his leadership, the B40 Balkan Cities Network was established and after that, following his leadership, we did our best to grow it. Of course, there was already an energy to grow this already formed network towards Europe and the West and we continue to grow this energy. In addition, our efforts to grow relations with all neighboring countries continue. We established the B40 network under the leadership of Ekrem Başkan and now, I think we can all say with open hearts that since the Second World War, we have never seen such close cooperation in the region, especially at the city level. And we see that this has been a great success so far. Because we have never seen such opportunities in the Balkan region where we travel together so often, spend time together and work together. The relations between Albania and Turkey are very historical and deep relations. Therefore, I would like to welcome you home.”
İMAMOĞLU: “I WISH THAT THIS COOPERATION ENVIRONMENT WILL DRAGONIZE PEACE AND CREATE QUALITY CITIES AND BEAUTIFUL COUNTRIES”
İmamoğlu thanked Eliaj for his hospitality and expressed his feelings with the following words:
“Your beautiful words and sentences are very valuable to me. We have established a great friendship. We have achieved a very valuable unity of cities. Today, Izmir and Çanakkale are with us. But especially in reaching 70 cities, you also have a very warm and extraordinary period. I would also like to thank you for this beautiful cooperation during your presidency. I have not seen or have not been able to detect such cooperation of regional cities in the world in such a warm and highly related position. Therefore, the B40 organization promises a very exemplary future. In the formation of the first will, especially Erion and Kostas, Atilla was the Mayor, the extraordinary will of my two friends for unity has been a very valuable beginning for us to come to this day. Turkish-Greek-Albanian; in other words, three solid foundations, promise a very strong future, just so you know. I hope that this cooperation environment in the Balkans will both protect this geography from evil, protect it from conflicts, draw peace into itself, and create very high-quality cities and beautiful countries with cooperation.”
ELIAJ CALLED IMAMOĞLU TO THE MICROPHONE WITH THE WORDS "OUR MENTOR" AND "OUR MASTER"
Following their visit to the Tirana Municipality, İmamoğlu, Veliaj, Tugay and Erkek met with B40 Executive Committee members Skopje Mayor Danela Arsovska, Pristina Deputy Mayor Alban Zogaj, Athens Deputy Mayor Paris Charlaftis, Sarajevo City Council President Jasmin Ademovic and B40 Permanent Secretary Barbaros Büyüksağnak at a private hotel. Following the committee meeting, İmamoğlu and Veliaj, the founder of the Canada-based “8-80 Cities Project”, Gil Penalosa, who aims to plan cities in line with the needs of children aged 8 and under and adults aged 80 and over, gave speeches at the “Tirana Urban Forum – Leadership for Livable Cities” meeting. Veliaj, whose term as B40 term president will end at the end of 2024, called İmamoğlu to the microphone at the end of his speech, saying “our mentor” and “our master.”
“TIRANA IS STRENGTHENING AS A MAJOR CENTER OF POWER FOR THE REGION WITH THE B40 NETWORK”
“I am very happy to be here with you today, as we conclude the period in which Tirana successfully chaired our young B40 Balkan Cities Network,” said İmamoğlu, and continued his speech in English:
“It has been three years since we launched this initiative in Istanbul with the joint efforts of 23 visionary mayors. Later, in Athens, our network has grown into a strong institutional structure. Under the leadership of Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj, who will take over at the beginning of 3, B2024 has become a shining example of cooperation in the Balkans and beyond. Today, with the participation of the B40 Executive Board members and representatives from the Balkan cities, we have come together to shape the future of the network. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my colleague and friend Mayor Veliaj and his team for their warm hospitality. Thanks to his visionary leadership, Tirana is steadily strengthening its position as an international cultural and innovation hub, as well as a major powerhouse for the region with the B40 Network. Today’s ‘Tirana Urban Forum – Leadership for Livable Cities’ is a testament to this vision.”
“WHAT MAKES A CITY LIVABLE?”
“So what makes a city livable? For me, the answer is clear: it is a city where a good quality of life is not the privilege of the few, but the right of all citizens. In Istanbul, our priority from day one has been to create a green, creative and fair city. The smart city of our time combines what is good for the planet with what is good for the local people and the economy. It provides sustainable transport networks, parks, cultural centres and nurseries. It is a city whose leadership strives to make the lives of its residents better every day. It is a city that gives its citizens a say in how their city is run, as we do with our ‘Budget is Yours’ initiative, which gives people a say in the city’s budget. A livable city is a city that stands proudly on the world stage, as seen in our preparations to host the 2027 European Games and our bid for the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games. My goal is to ensure that Istanbul, which is home to 16 million people and is on the front lines of challenges such as global warming and irregular migration, is not just a livable city, but a city where people want to live.”
“WE ARE REWRITING THE BALKANS NARRATIVE”
“On the other hand, cities are not isolated. They reflect the global conditions, challenges and crises that surround them. With its unique geography and strategic location, our region has historically been a crossroads of civilizations. But despite its rich heritage, the Balkans have often been associated with conflict and have been known as the ‘powder keg of Europe.’ Today, we are rewriting this narrative. Together, we showcase the Balkans as a rising star for investment, innovation and cooperation. We, the local governments of the Balkan cities, recognized this potential early on. Three years ago in Istanbul, mayors demonstrated their firm belief in the power of city diplomacy and their deep commitment to the cross-border cooperation model. We focused on understanding each other and using the diversity of the Balkans as an advantage. What began as an intercity network has become a movement of hope and determination for the future of our region.”
“THE BALKAN CITIES WERE THE FIRST TO TAKE ACTION”
“Current geopolitical developments add urgency to our cooperation. China’s ‘Belt and Road Initiative’,
The growing diplomatic presence of the US and the EU’s expansion efforts into the Western Balkans underline the growing global importance of our region. But let’s not forget that, long before these international moves, it was the Balkan cities that took action first. Cities must respond directly and urgently to the needs of their people, regardless of the ideological, economic or social divisions among their residents. As mayors, we need to increase inclusiveness, social justice and the well-being of our cities. That’s why B40 is not just a network of cities. It is a blueprint for the Balkans to play a leading role in addressing regional challenges and offers a new model of cooperation that the world can emulate.”
“CITIES MUST SHAPE A SUSTAINABLE AND RESILIENT FUTURE”
“Today, the global landscape is one of rapidly moving multiple crises, and the Balkans are beset by conflicts and wars. The war in Ukraine has deeply shaken international stability and highlighted the importance of the territorial integrity of states. The tragedies in Gaza have underlined the need for a strong defense of human rights and justice. The conflict in Syria has resumed and has the potential to re-displace millions. Civil wars, proxy wars and humanitarian crises are testing the global order. Energy crises, escalating climate change and ever-increasing natural disasters are compounding these challenges, making resilience and sustainability critical priorities for our cities. Cities must do more than provide basic services; they must also shape a sustainable and resilient future.”
“AT THIS POINT, PLATFORMS LIKE B40 ARE BECOMING INDISPENSABLE”
“This is where platforms like B40 become indispensable. That’s why I invited the mayors of major cities in the Middle East and North Africa to start a dialogue on how local governments can contribute to regional peace and cooperation. But regional cooperation alone cannot address global challenges. We need to enrich our regional city diplomacy with global partnerships. Under our current president in Tirana, B40 has expanded the reach and impact of our network by adding new partners such as ICLEI (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives), UMT and the Union of Bulgarian Municipalities as observer members. This is just the beginning. Our goal is to extend this cooperation model beyond the Balkans and invite cities from around the world as observer members. Our dream is to transform B40 into a solidarity platform and a global solutions hub, bringing together universities, the business world, civil society, youth and artists. This inclusive model will position Balkan cities as leaders on critical global issues such as climate change, migration and digital transformation. I thank everyone who shares this vision and look forward to meeting again next year to further advance this hopeful journey.”
Following the speeches, sessions titled “Capacity Building for Cities of the Future” and “Healthy Cities Now, But How?” were held with the participation of mayors and representatives of B40 member cities.
B40'S BIRTH PLACE: ISTANBUL
B40 Balkan Cities Network, TBB and IMM President Ekrem İmamoğlu was founded in November 2021 by. İmamoğlu, who was the founding president and first host of the B40 Network; handed over the term presidency of the B40 Network, which was established with the aim of cooperating in areas such as crisis management, tourism, economy, culture and developing the concept of city diplomacy, to the Mayor of Athens Kostas Bakoyannis. After Athens, the term presidency passed to the Mayor of Tirana Erion Veliaj. B23, which started its journey with 40 founding cities, increased the number of its members to over 70.
