President of the Local Authorities Chamber of the Council of Europe Ian Micallef addressed the World Summit of Mayors in Istanbul yesterday on the subject of City Diplomacy.

He stressed that municipalities were taking on an ever greater importance in the political, economic and social fields.

“Cities and towns have to open themselves up to the external world in order to tackle their internal challenges,” said Mr Micallef. “This is why City Diplomacy has a high profile on the political agenda of the Local Authorities Chamber, as we consider peace to be a fundamental principle for the social development of our communities.”