(June 21, 2024, Russia) Ethiopian Cities Association (ECA) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Union of Russian Cities to work together on various urban development issues.

The main objective of this memorandum of understanding is to share experiences on local government issues determined to increase the efficiency of cooperation between the two parties and also to encourage capacity enhancing projects in local governments and to develop or implement common projects on the improvement of quality, efficiency and productivity-oriented management models for best practices.

According to the MoU, both parties reached agreement to monitor the developmets in the field of local governments and to provide the necessary coordination among the related institution.

In particular this MoU has focused on activities such as trainings, symposiums, congress, confrences, seminars and panels on common issues to be determined in the field of local administrations and recruit participants from local government sectors to these activities as well as utilizing citizen diplomacy to enhance city-to-city relationships.

The parties who signed this Memorandum of Understanding are Co-Chairman of Russian Association for Local Self-Government Development, Mrs. Irina Guseva, and the Director General of ECA, Ato Andualem Tenaw.

Meanwhile a delegation led by Ethiopian Cities Association’s Director General Ato AndualemTenaw, is participating on the establishment conference of the BRICS+ Cities and Municipalities Association today at Kazan, Russia.

The BRICS+ Cities and Municipalities Association established today at Kazan city with the presence of Ughur Ibrahim Altay, the president of the World Organization United Cities and Local Government (UCLG) and Mayor of Konya City, Turkey.

Ato Andualem, on his speech at this establishment conference, expressed that the participation of the associations is highly important because the voices of cities united in associations sound louder and friendlier.

In this estblisment conference of the Brics+ Cities and Municipalities Association, the BRICS+ member countries, cities and municipalities attended as founding members. Besides Adwa, Ambo, Butajira and Semera city Mayors are participating in this historiclal conference.