"It is important that the recently elected mayors in Tunisia speak with one voice so that the central state can rely on them," stressed Xavier CADORET, President of the Chamber of Local Authorities of the Congress, during his speech at the General Assembly of the National Federation of Tunisian Cities (FNVT) held in Mahdia on 8 and 9 December 2018. This first General Assembly, which takes place following the local elections in Tunisia in May 2018 brought together about 350 Tunisian mayors, government ministers, as well as experts from international and non-governmental organisations, such as the International Cooperation Agency of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities, the Swedish Association of Cities and Regions, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the Association of French Mayors.

The purpose of this meeting was to establish the statutes of the FNVT, thus giving it a more important role at the national level. The session on Saturday 8 December provided an opportunity for participants to share their good practices. On this occasion, President CADORET highlighted the importance of drafting the FNVT's statutes from a Tunisian perspective.

This meeting provided an opportunity for a direct exchange between Tunisian mayors and international institutions on co-operation, in particular on the partnership between the Congress and the FNVT, in order to allow mayors to exchange their experiences and find concrete answers with their counterparts in the 47 member States of the Council of Europe.