Chisinau resumes ties with francophone cities

Chisinau’s General mayor Dorin Chirtoaca met, on Tuesday, March 18, the permanent secretary of the International Association of Francophone Mayors (IAFM,) Olivier Chambard, for the first time in a visit to Chisinau. Olivier Chambard says he is here to re-launch the relationships among the francophone cities, Info-Prim Neo reports, quoting the PR Direction of the City Hall. “For 12 years, since a member of the IAFM, no joint action has been organized, except for a book donation. In order to be able to implement something concrete, the mayors have to put up projects, from training functionaries to managing garbage, or water supply. Chisinau is already a priority as it has missed the association’s initiatives for 12 years,” Olivier Chambard said. Dorin Chirtoaca has thanked the IAFM permanent secretary for the initiative and the recommendations proposed. “It’s a stage proving the outdated concept of the Capital’s operation. We’ll be glad to start the cooperation with IAFM right from this year,” the Chisinau mayor said. The International Association of Francophone Mayors was set up back in 1979, following an idea of the then Paris mayor, Jacques Chirac, the president of the association. The main areas of interest of the organization are the exchange of information and the experience in the field of municipal management, the professional training of the personnel, assistance and programs for the urban transport, traffic, environment, and youth’s issues. IAFM joins 200 cities from 46 countries. The Chisinau municipality joined it in 1996.