Odessa, 07 OCTOBER 2016, CONTEXT-Prichernomorie — Odessa was invited to become a member of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, the correspondent of IA «Context-Prichernomorie» reports.

It was reported to the agency today, October 07, in the Department of Information of the Odessa City Council.

According to the Department, the Odessa mayor Gennady Trukhanov during an official visit to Belgium met with the Deputy chief of staff for the European Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Ms. Emma Udwin and Head of Cabinet of EU Commissioner for Trade Ms. Maria Aseinius.

G. Trukhanov also met with the Mayor of Brussels Mr. Ivan Major. During the meeting the sides discussed issues of cooperation in the field of public health. The first step in this direction will be participation of Odessa in an international intergovernmental organization — the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe.

«The mayor of Brussels has offered assistance to the accession to this organization. We of course accept this invitation. Expanding our capabilities today must be more than just a declaration on paper. Today it is necessary to fill the application with sense, actions and concrete actions», said the mayor of Odessa.

REFERENCE: The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities is a pan-European political Assembly within the Council of Europe, representing local and regional authorities of the forty-seven countries-members of the Council of Europe. Its role is to promote local and regional democracy, the strengthening of local and regional self-government in accordance with the principles set out in the European Charter of Local Self-Government.