B40 TIRANA SUMMIT

The B40 Balkan Cities Network (B40) is entering a new phase, with its third summit scheduled to take place in Tirana from January 29 to 31, 2024. This comprehensive event will bring together mayors from the Balkan region, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and solidarity among local governments.

Among the central themes at the summit are crucial topics such as local climate action, local economic and cultural cooperation, local democracy, smart cities and digital transformation. Cities affiliated with B40 will engage in sharing experiences and knowledge under these themes, developing strategies to overcome obstacles to sustainability and innovation.

The Summit’s motto is “Building Urban Resilience and Responding to Crises.” Centered on this motto, the Summit will focus on strengthening cities and establishing effective response mechanisms to crises.

The summit will also witness the handover ceremony of the B40 Network Presidency. A symbolic ceremony between Mayor of Athens, Mr. Haris Doukas and Mayor of Tirana, Mr. Erion Veliaj will mark the handover of the B40 Presidency from Athens Municipality to Tirana Municipality. Furthermore, Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, the founding president of our network, will attend the summit and present a memorial symbol to Mayor Erion Veliaj, who will assume the term presidency. This handover ceremony aims to emphasize leadership continuity within the network, contributing to the establishment of solid foundations for collaboration among cities.

Previous B40 summits took place in Istanbul and Athens, making significant contributions to enhancing cooperation and solidifying solidarity among cities. B40 Tirana Summit, within this framework, aims to further strengthen collaboration among Balkan cities and take a step forward in achieving sustainable development goals.