Athens and Belgrade signed a memorandum to expand collaboration on Monday, as it also became known that the Greek capital will host the first B40 Balkan Cities Network conference, expected to take place in 2022 in Athens.
Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis said Greece and Serbia share traditions, histories and have fought multiple times on the same side in struggles for peace, democracy and justice. He also spoke highly of Belgrade Mayor Zoran Radojicic, who he said exemplifies humanitarianism and science. “He is perhaps the only mayor in Europe who stands out for operating on young children once a week. His ties to our country are particularly strong, as he spent some months in Athens training at the ‘Agia Sofia’ Children’s Hospital,” Bakoyannis said.
In his statements, Radojicic said he was witness during a meeting in Istanbul to the high esteem other mayors have of his Athens counterpart, adding that Athenians “should be proud of your mayor.” The trying times made it imperative that mayors work together, he noted, adding that Athens provides a good model for Belgrade and other Balkan cities.
Belgrade’s mayor also conveyed to Bakoyannis Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s invitation to the Athens mayor to visit his country.
SOURCE: AMNA
