Within the framework of the European Union (EU) Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, a Memorandum of Understanding will be signed with the city of Mingachevir, Azerbaijan, according to Witold Sartorius, Team Leader of the technical assistance project for Covenant of Mayors signatories in Azerbaijan, Report informs.
Speaking during the event in Baku organized jointly by Azerbaijan's Energy Ministry and the EU within the Covenant of Mayors Initiative, Sartorius explained that the main idea of the project is to create horizontal communication lines: "If we talk about 'top-down', 'bottom-up', and 'horizontal' connections, the horizontal ones are the most difficult, because communication between cities and local stakeholders is sometimes very challenging and underdeveloped."
He emphasized that another key element of the Covenant of Mayors is the exchange of experience between cities: "That is why we are working to establish a national Covenant of Mayors network in Azerbaijan. Today we are taking an important step. For several years we have been considering the model of this network, discussing it with colleagues from the Ministry of Energy, the EU, and municipalities. Today we are ready to sign a Memorandum of Understanding among three project partners: our winner - Mingachevir, the first city in Azerbaijan to sign the Covenant of Mayors and prepare a SECAP (Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan); our second partner, the national NGO 'EKOT' from Mingachevir; and our third partner, the National Association of Municipalities of Azerbaijan."
The official noted that by signing this memorandum, Azerbaijan is creating a Coordination Council for the national network, which represents the first step in building it.
"The purpose of this network is to help cities share their experiences, combine efforts to defend climate and energy interests at the local level, and jointly seek financial resources. Thus, the first step has been taken, and I hope that in a few years we will see a very strong national Covenant of Mayors network in Azerbaijan," Sartorius added.