Global mayors discuss green, youth development in Shanghai

SHANGHAI, May 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — A news report from english.shanghai.gov.cn: 

Mayors and representatives of 26 cities across 22 countries have gathered in Shanghai for the ongoing Global Mayors Dialogue and the 2025 Shanghai International Friendship Cities Cooperation Forum, which kicked off on May 28.

Sub-forums are themed “Urban sustainable development empowered by green and low-carbon strategies” and “Youth vitality inspiring urban innovation for the future”. The forum runs until May 31.

Gong Zheng, mayor of Shanghai, said at the opening ceremony on May 29 that having established friendship-city relationships with 95 cities in 59 countries, Shanghai will continue to expand its network of friendship cities, explore new models of cooperation, and elevate exchanges and cooperation to a new level.

“We will focus on expanding economic and trade exchanges, promoting green transformation and upgrading, strengthening scientific and technological collaborations, and enhancing mutual understanding between people,” he said.

Haris Doukas, mayor of Athens, Greece, stressed the role of city diplomacy in tackling the climate crisis.

“City diplomacy has allowed cities to lead the way, to achieve important partnerships for prevention, to share knowledge, to set brave and specific goals through participation in international networks and forums, and to reduce the burdens of the climate crisis,” Doukas said.

Shanghai and Athens established a friendship-city relationship in January.

“Climate change is the defining challenge facing our shared world today,” said Dan Boyle, lord mayor of Cork, Ireland, adding that “the spirit of international cooperation, which informs gatherings like today, can give us some optimism that this challenge facing all of humanity will be met.”

On the same day, the Letter of Intent for Friendly Cooperation and Exchanges was signed between Shanghai and Vientiane, the capital of Laos, while the MoU on the Establishment of Friendly Exchanges was signed between Shanghai and Tbilisi, Georgia. 

SOURCE english.shanghai.gov.cn