Congress Secretary General Andreas Kiefer and Director Rafael Benitez met the Mayor of Strasbourg, Jeanne Barseghian, and her deputy for international relations, Julia Dumay, on 10 September 2020 in the Council of Europe premises. This first meeting was intended to underline the privileged link that the Congress maintains with the City of Strasbourg and its elected representatives. The long-standing co-operation with the Congress not only involves the City's hosting of Congress sessions and delegations, but also enables it to develop its contacts, exchanges of experience and practice and networks with local elected representatives from all European territories. Mr. Kiefer stressed that the participation of a representative of the City of Strasbourg in the French delegation to the Congress also makes it possible to actively strengthen this co-operation.