Meeting of the Committee on Culture and Education

Kayseri, Turkey, 1 October 2010

Opening remarks by Ian Micallef, acting President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe

Minister,

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear colleagues,

On behalf of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, I would like to thank the Government of Turkey, the Turkish and European Associations of historic towns and Mr Mehmet Özhasekı, Mayor of Kayseri, for this initiative to welcome us here to Kayseri. I am sure my friend, Mr Farid Mukhametshin, who today chaired our committee meeting, will join me in these thanks as he is very active in promoting our cultural heritage.

We are here to launch a Symposium on integrated management plans in historic towns – involving the citizen. Citizen participation is a constant concern for the Congress.

I am personally very pleased to be here this evening because the first meeting to launch the European Association of Historic Towns and Regions was held in Malta, my own country, ten years ago. I am happy too because Turkey has been an eminent member of the Council of Europe from the foundation of our Organisation, and we can only welcome the considerable contribution of this country to advancing our objectives.

The President of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly, Mr Mevlüt ÇAVUŞOĞLU, is a Turkish national as is Yavuz MILDON, the current elected President of our Congress. We are convinced that this open and frank relationship between Turkey and the Congress will receive a further boost during the forthcoming Turkish Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, and that it will be maintained and pursued in the future.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Turkey has been a great supporter of our cultural work for many years. We are now in the process of reforming the Congress and for this we will also need the support of your country, both from the Turkish delegation to the Congress and from your government. I trust that I can count on this support.

I wish you a successful Symposium.  Thank you.