UCLG CO-PRESIDENT WAN QINGLIANG VISITED PRESIDENT KADIR TOPBAS 7.08.2012

Mr. WAN Qingliang, former Mayor of Guangzhou and Vice President of China Association of Mayors came to İstanbul on 17^th-18^th July, 2012, and visited Kadir TOPBAŞ, the president of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG). During his visit to İstanbul, Mr. WAN Qingliang's, the Co-President of UCLG, was accompanied by TIAN Kaisheng, Consulate General of China in Istanbul, CHEN Gugui, Senior Vice Mayor of Guangzhou Municipal Government, WANG Xudong, Director General of Guangzhou Economic & Trade Commission, LIU Baochun, Director General of Guangzhou Foreign Affairs Office, LI Ming, Director General of Bureau of Urban Planning of Guangzhou Municipality, ZENG Kaizhang, President of CCPIT Guangzhou, YUAN Zhimin, Chairman of Guangzhou Federation of Industry & Commerce, Chairman of Kingfa Sci. & Tech. Co., Ltd., HUANG Hehong, Party Secretary of CPC Conghua Committee, Director General of the Standing Committee of People’s Congress of Conghua City, TAN Zhixiang, Director General of Guangzhou Cooperation Office, Zhang Fangyou, Chairman of Guangzhou Automobile Industry Group, LI Chuyuan, Vice Chairman & General Manager of Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd. and FANG Jizhang, Vice Mayor of Conghua City Government.

WAN Qingliang, the Co President of UCLG, inaugurated İstanbul Guangzhou Day, which was held in Four Seasons Hotel, with a vast group of businessmen with him in the first day of his visit. Distinguished persons from the business world made speeches in this ceremony, as part of the "China Year in Turkey" event for 2012.

Co-President WAN was accompanied by Kadir TOPBAŞ, President of UCLG, and Josep ROIG, General Secretary of UCLG, in his two-day visit. On the last day, after the lunch hosted by Kadir TOPBAŞ, İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor, he visited President TOPBAŞ in his office.

In the meeting, the issues on the agenda of UCLG World Organization were discussed the most extensively. The details connected with the Press Conference of International Guangzhou Urban Innovation Awards, which was arranged right after the meeting, were finalized.

After this concilium, the events passed on to the Press Conference that was to be held in İstanbul City Hall. In the Press Conference, where International Guangzhou Urban Innovation Awards were advertised, the signing ceremonies (Sister City Protocol between İstanbul and Guangzhou and the Memorandum of Understanding between UCLG-MEWA and Directorate for External Relations of Guangzhou (GZFAO) Municipality) also took place. CHEN Rugui, Guanghzou Deputy Mayor; Adem BAŞTÜRK, General Secretary of İstanbul Metrpolitan Municipality; Josep ROIG, General Secretary of UCLG; WAN Qingliang, Guanghzou Province General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and Co-President of UCLG; Kadir TOPBAŞ, İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor and President of UCLG; TIAN Kaisheng, İstanbul Deputy Consul-General of People’s Republic of China; Mehmet DUMAN, General Secretary of UCLG-MEWA; LIU Baochun, Director of External Relations of Guanghzou Municipality, were present in the meeting. After the speeches of WAN, Co-President of UCLG, and TOPBAŞ, President of UCLG, the conference passed on to the signing ceremony.

Memorandum of Understanding between UCLG-MEWA and GZFAO, which aims to the support the cooperation between the two organizations, was signed by Mehmet DUMAN, General Secretary in behalf of UCLG-MEWA, and LIU Baochun, General Director, on behalf of GZFAO. The Protocol of Cooperation is intended to promote the International Guangzhou Urban Innovation Awards in the region of MEWA, encourage members of MEWA to participate in the competition. It also aims to show the support and encouragement of the Guanghzou Office for the activities arranged by MEWA General Secretariat.

Press Conference ended with Josep ROIG, General Secretary of UCLG, Qingliang WAN, Co-President of UCLG, and Kadir TOPBAŞ, President of UCLG, answering journalists’ questions. After the last official event, which was the Press Conference, Co-President WAN was sent off by TOPBAŞ, ROIG, General Secretary of UCLG, and DUMAN, General Secretary of UCLG-MEWA. Then President TOPBAŞ, Josep ROIG, General Secretary of UCLG, and Mehmet DUMAN, General Secretary of UCLG-MEWA, exchanged evaluations about the agenda of the organization.