The Secretary General of MedCities, Mr. Josep Canals has made a series of visits to some city members: “It is important for me as Secretary General and the association to be close to our members and listen to their needs” Canals said. The first visit was to the Balkans, first to Dubrovnik where he was invited to speak at the Adriatic Sea Forum. The event discussed the need to maintain a continuous dialogue between councils and private companies in the recreational boat sector. After the event, Mr. Canals met the Mayor Mr. Mato Franković to exchange points of view and to show MedCities’ compromise to continue involving Dubrovnik in future projects. 

Then Sarajevo, a city with historical ties with the city of Barcelona is a very rich and important crossroads of diverse cultures and religions. There we met with the president of the municipal council, Mr.Jasim Admeovic, the vice-mayor and the prime Minister of Sarajevo Canton, a conversation that helped to strengthen the city’s lace with the MedCities in which the city will play an important role in the coming months. Mr. Ademovic offered to host MedCities General Assembly in the future.  

Mr. Canals also visited Naples and Rome in May. In Naples a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed with the secretary general of the Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly (PAM), Mr. Sergio Piazzi, recently accepted as an observer member of MedCities. With this signature, and as approved in the last MedCities assembly, the association has become an observatory member of PAM as well.  Canals took the opportunity to meet with the Naples’ Mayor’s delegate for international relations, Francesco Senese to discuss the opportunities that MedCities can offer the Italian city with an increasing interest to be active in the  Mediterranean. 

Rome is one of the founding members of MedCities and the Italian capital held the presidency of MedCities at the beginning of the 2000s. Canals met with the diplomatic advisor to the Mayor, Mr. Gabriele Annis, who expressed an interest in having a more active role within the association. They also debated the importance of the Mediterranean macro-regional strategy, recently promoted by the EU Committee of the Regions and the European Parliament, and the role that Mediterranean metropolises can play in the integration of the region on the three shores.

Llegeix aquí la notícia en català publicada pel Departament d’Exteriors de la Generalitat