In his remarks, Veliaj stated that Tirana is wrapping up a successful year with the Presidency of B-40, expanding the network of participating municipalities.

“It is a great pleasure today to have my friend and brother, Ekrem İmamoğlu, here with a delegation of mayors from Turkey. We are wrapping up a highly successful year with B-40. This initiative, led by Ekrem, was aimed at fostering connections, collaboration, and cooperation among us. Under the B-40 Presidency, Tirana has become a success story that we are eager to continue with the next presidency. I am delighted to see our network expand from 21 member cities to over 70 municipalities. We have more than tripled our efforts, and just as we acknowledge the significance of European integration, integration between us is equally vital.” stated Veliaj.

On his part, the mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu, expressed his satisfaction with the success of Tirana and praised Mayor Veliaj’s efforts in transforming the city into a livable place for its citizens.

“I am happy to see the success of the city of Tirana under the leadership of my dear friend, Erion, who has taken several concrete and very important steps towards achieving this goal. He is a successful example when it comes to creating livable cities in Europe, and all of Europe is following in his successful footsteps,” said İmamoğlu.

The Mayor of Istanbul added that, under Veliaj’s leadership, Tirana has evolved into a city dedicated to fostering new and strong cooperative ties within the region.

“I am extremely proud to witness the successful efforts of my friend, Erion, in strengthening diplomacy among cities in the region. As a result, Tirana has transformed into a well-connected city focused on fostering new and strong cooperative relationships within our region. Tirana is a city we look up to, and we take pride in its success. I believe that the B40 network plays a crucial role for the region and the cities of the Balkans, serving as a concrete example of city diplomacy. I would especially like to thank my friend, Erion, for his successful presidency, and I look forward to our collaboration going forward. We are dedicated to investing in and creating a more livable environment for children, youth, and women in our cities, as well as across the region,” said İmamoğlu.

Veliaj expressed confidence that after successfully completing the B-40 presidency, Tirana will also shine as the Mediterranean Capital of Culture and Dialogue next year.

The regional network of municipalities was founded in November 2021, during the global Covid-19 pandemic, as a platform for fostering cooperation between cities.

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