Nicosia will host UCEU annual conference

Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, will host the 49th Conference – General Assembly of the Union of Capitals of the European Union (UCEU), from 29 to 31 October.

Speaking at a press conference today at the Town hall, Mayor of Nicosia Eleni Mavrou said that this year’s annual UCEU meeting is taking place in the southeastern part of the European Union, noting that “this provides us with the opportunity to highlight the role of European capitals in creating bridges of cooperation with the capitals of neighboring countries in the Middle East and achieving the wider geographical objectives of the European Union”.

The overall theme of the Conference, she said, is “Sustainable capitals without blockades” and refers to integrated urban development which links the environmental, economic and social aspects of European capitals.

Emphasis will be given on the integrated, sustainable and without blockades regeneration of declining and marginalized or disadvantaged areas of the capitals.

Mavrou made a special reference to the symbolic award, entitled “Bridging Divisions in Cities”, to the city of Berlin, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary since the fall of
the Berlin wall.

She stressed that the aim of this UCEU Presidency award is to underline that divisions within cities, independently of their political background, history and nature, constitute a threat to the sustainability of the cities.

The Mayor of Nicosia concluded by saying that “the hopeful message of Berlin that cities cannot remain divided, is of a particular importance in Nicosia, the last divided capital of Europe, since the 1974 Turkish invasion and occupation of Cyprus.”