Mayors of European Capitals Sign Ljubljana Declaration
Mayors and other representatives of 18 European capitals, meeting for a two-day conference in Slovenia's capital, adopted on Thursday the Ljubljana Declaration on the relationship between states and their capital cities. They also signed a declaration on the role of capitals in intercultural dialogue.
The participants in a panel agreed that capitals should be granted a status that would give them enough room to act efficiently on the local as well as regional levels and a strong financial basis that would give them a longterm stability.
Therefore the status of capitals should be defined in constitutions of individual countries granting them the highest possible level of autonomy.
Capitals should also engage in commercial activities in order to generate resources needed to provide good public services, however, their funding from the states should be determined in legislation and not only in agreements.
The declaration also stresses the necessity for clear division of different authorities, taking into account the needs of modern capitals and countries, and their cooperation.
The document in sevent points will be presented to mayors of other European capitals who are not taking part at the conference, and to the European Parliament.
Vienna Mayor Michael Haeupl explained to the panel the administrative concept of his city, which is a capital and a province at the same, and its municipal board acts as provincial government.
Ljubljana Mayor Zoran Jankovic told the panel that Ljubljana was not on good terms with the Slovenian government and expressed his hopes that this declaration would give the capital more arguments for negotiations with the government.
The second declaration meanwhile touched on the role of capital cities in intercultural dialogue and in creating active coexistence.
The capitals are the lighthouses that shed light on the path towards the future, Jankovic said as he signed the declaration.
He expressed his satisfaction over the conference, saying "Ljubljana gained a great deal today. It saw it is equal or even better. I think Ljubljana ranks among top European capitals in intercultural dialogue."
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