The capital of the northernmost province of Tajikistan – Khujand became a member of the Council of the World Organization of the United Cities and Local Authorities.

The Eurasia Local Governments Congress took place in the city of Cheboksary (Russia) upon the initiative of the Eurasian section of the World Organization “Unites Cities and Local Governments” brought together mayors of cities from all over Eurasia to discuss the issues of the Sustainable Development Goals implementation.

Heads and representatives of cities, associations of local governments and international experts from Armenia, Spain, Russia, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, the Republic of South Africa, Tajikistan, Abkhazia, Algeria and Mongolia took part in the event.

President of the Eurasian section of UCLG, Mayor of Kazan (Russia)Ilsur Metshin delivered the welcome address at the official opening ceremony: “More than fourteen years ago we gathered to establish UCLG, and at that time one of the questions of our concern was “How to make the voice of local governments be heard in the international arena?”. Today it can certainly be said that our organization has mastered this task.”

For the first time President of UCLG Mpho Parks Tau took part in the events of UCLG-Eurasia. He thanked Evgeniy Kadyshev, Mayor of Cheboksary for hospitality and highlighted that the Eurasia Local Governments Congress was organized at the highest level.

The plenary session “Towards Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals” was held in the framework of the Congress. Among the speakers were Dr.Haik Nikogosian, the Senior Adviser of the European Network of the World Health Organization “Healthy Cities”, Gavril Kirillin, Acting Minister of External Relations and Ethnic Affairs of the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic, Ekaterina Perfilieva, Chief Editor of the Open School of the Sustainable Development, Yana Poliakova, expert of the Center for Fiscal Policy and others.

The meeting of UCLG-Eurasia General Assembly was marked by re-election of Ilsur Metshin as President and by accession of new members to the organization: Magas (Russia), Khujand (Tajikistan), Karaganda (Kazakhstan) and the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic (Russia).