The Alliance des Villes Europeens de Culture association, also known as AVEC will be holding its administration council meeting in Vittoriosa, whose mayor, John Boxall is vice president of the association.

The AVEC network is formed by 40 cities from around 12 countries in Europe and for a local community; the Alliance of European Cities (AVEC) offers a privileged framework of human, technical and policy cooperation with other communities sharing the same aims and objectives of sustainable development based on the valorisation of their culture and heritage.

The two-day conference will bring high level representatives from Europe, including Christian Mourisard, president of the AVEC network and vice mayor of the city of Arles, Andre Hullo, mayor of Vienne, both cities in France, Jose Ernesto D’Oliviera, mayor of Evora, Portugal, Peter Tasnadi, mayor of Pecs, Hungary, Raphael Souchier, general delegate of the network and other directors of cultural and tourism departments from the countries participating in this association including, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Croatia and Hungary.

The AVEC council meeting will be held between 12-13 October at Couvre Porte Gallery in the local council administration building, where Francis Zammit Dimech, Minister of Tourism and Culture will officially open the conference.

The conference will coincide with another activity at Vittoriosa, the yearly event “Birgu By Candlelight”, whose date was purposely moved so as to give the foreign delegates a taste of what a local community in Malta is capable of organising.