The Mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj, hosted the Vice Mayor of Paris, Anouch Toranian, to whom he symbolically presented the “Tirana Clock” and talked about increasing cooperation between the two cities. Veliaj said that Paris and Tirana have become laboratories of urban changes.

“I am very enthusiastic about the Olympic Games in Paris. Our Olympic team is a modest team, but it turns out that most of the Albanian team is actually the Sport Club Tirana team, so we can’t wait to return your visit to Paris. I am hopeful that some of our athletes, those in wrestling, weightlifting, athletics, gymnastics, will make a dignified performance. I really hope that the Olympic Games will be a success, in a divided world, in a world that is at war, within Europe it will also be a message for peace and to bring people together, as sport can do. There could not be a more ideal place than Paris, for this kind of rediscovered love of nations”, said Veliaj.

The mayor praised the work of his counterpart in Paris, Anne Hidalgo, and added that the two cities have a lot to learn from each other. “Anne Hidalgo has made a success story in Paris and for anyone who thinks that changes come easily, they should understand that even in Paris there is a debate about bicycle tracks, about climate change, there is also a debate in Paris about bus lines. It is more normal that in a space where millions of people, hundreds of thousands of people live, there are debates about these issues, but what we have seen is that human nature is the same. Just as it is the same to reject or resist change, it is the same to embrace change. So, initially there are doubts about the change, but when the change comes, people embrace it”, said Veliaj.

For her part, the deputy mayor of the Paris Municipality, Anouch Toranian, said that she is looking forward to Albania being part of the Olympic Games in Paris. Toranian represented her city Paris in the proceedings of the B40 Summit, where Tirana took the Presidency.