On the occasion of the Cities and Regions Forum for International Partnerships, a delegation from Montpellier 2028 went to Brussels to discuss international relations through the prism of culture and youth with the European network.
Clare Hart, Vice-President of Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole spoke during the opening session of the Forum on the role of local authorities in the context of international partnerships and the localization of the SDGs/Global Gateway.
Then, Michaël Delafosse, Mayor of the City of Montpellier, President of Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole chaired a workshop on the role of culture in the construction of a sustainable and inclusive city model, particularly for young people. The opportunity to share with other mayors and representatives of intermediary cities our project and vision of a sustainable, inclusive and exemplary territory as an accelerator of territorial cooperation and cohesion.
Driven by the conviction that culture is a lever for development and can help us invent new stories in the face of major contemporary issues, Montpellier 2028 continues its commitment to the European network and the African continent with the ambition to invent together new forms of cooperation and deploying imaginaries of transition.
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Montpellier 2028, alongside the African Capital of Culture 2024!
The Cities and Regions for International Partnerships Forum was also an opportunity to strengthen our collaboration with the cities of Brazzaville and Kinshasa, which have just been jointly designated as the African Capitals of Culture for 2024.
These rich exchanges, particularly with Yvette Tabu Inangoy, Commissioner General in charge of culture for the province of Kinshasa, and Emma Clesh Atipo Ngapy, Deputy Mayor of Brazzaville, align with our commitment to dialogue and cooperation with the African continent.
Also an opportunity for Michaël Delafosse to meet again with Achille Mbembe, bearer of a strong message for local democracies.
After a first Biennale that took place in October 2023, strengthened by the ties formed in 2021 during the organization of the New Africa-France Summit, exploring new areas of partnerships, especially between artists and scientists, Montpellier asserts itself more than ever as a crossroads of ideas and aims to transform perspectives on the reality of African cultures.