“We, the mayors, have a primary role in leading change in our communities and in implementing innovative and ethical actions at the local level, where citizens have a real say”, stated Saša Paunović (L-SOC), Deputy Head of the Serbian Delegation to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, during the high level conference on “Fostering sustainable development in Eastern Partnership countries”, held in Yerevan, Armenia, on 26 October 2016. He emphasised the need for empowered local authorities and active citizens, and the vital role national associations have in supporting their members and in raising their concerns at national level. Mayors involved in the co-operation activities of the Congress, and in particular in the project “Strengthening institutional frameworks for local governance” participated in this conference. It was organised as a part of the Conference of Regional and Local Authorities of the Eastern Partnership (CORLEAP) Action Plan 2016-2017, jointly with the European Commission and the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Development of the Republic of Armenia.