MoU between Istanbul and Brussels

of understanding for A MEMORANDUM cooperation between Istanbul and the Belgian capital Brussels on gender equality and friendship was signed on Thursday. The parties, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, Minister-President of the Brussels-Capital Region Rudi Vervoort and Brussels-Capital Region Minister Pascal Smet met at an online meeting. In his opening speech, Vervoort expressed his satisfaction with the signing of the MoU with Istanbul, Turkey’s biggest city.

For his part, Imamoglu referred to a Belgian proverb, saying: “If you do not have a ship you sent, you cannot wait for it to return. This ship we are sending today will be a first step for countless good projects we will develop in cooperation,” he said. “Thus, we will share best practices between Turkey’s heart, Istanbul, and Europe’s heart, Brussels, in a variety of areas, including culture, environment, economy, science, and urban development.” C•VID-19 has both drove apart and brought societies closer, Imamoglu said, quoting Yunus Emre, one of Anatolia’s most important poets: “Let’s meet, let’s make things easier.”

“We are happy to have the opportunity to bring Brussels and Istanbul together and to take a step that will make life easier for the residents of both cities,” he added.

Imamoglu underlined that the municipality acted with an approach based on reason and science at every step during this difficult period. “This difficult period has not stopped our efforts to make transparent, fair and inclusive policies based on the democratic participation of all Istanbulites,” he said.

Imamoglu expressed his appreciation of the fact that the signing ceremony was held on The International Day of Women and Girls in Science, launched by the United Nations six years ago. “•ur great leader Ataturk, as our guide, said: ‘If a society does not walk together with all its women and men for the same purpose, it is not scientifically and technically possible for it to progress and become civilized.’ Gender equality is now among the founding values of the European Union and one of the core values of the United Nations. Providing equal opportunities and supporting women in all fields is essential for all our policies. I know that we share these values and goals with the Brussels administration. Therefore, gender equality will be our main principle in all our projects,” Imamoglu said.

Following the speech of Brussels-Capital Region Minister Pascal Smet, four copies of the Memorandum of Understanding (Mu•) was signed in Turkish, English, French and Dutch.

The MoU also will also create opportunities on bilateral trade. We will be covering possible areas of cooperation in economics in light of the MoU with Stefano Missir di Lusignano, Economic and Commercial Attaché Representing the Brussels’ Government, next week in an exclusive interview.

Ekrem Imamoglu Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor We will share best practices between Turkey’s heart, Istanbul, and Europe’s heart, Brussels, in a variety of areas, including culture, environment, economy, science, and urban development.