Leeds, along with the UK’s other key cities, has expressed its commitment to European cooperation post Brexit.
The commitment was made this week by the Chair of UK Core Cities and Leader of Leeds City Council, Cllr Judith Blake, at the EUROCITIES AGM, a network that promotes cooperation between Europe’s largest cities.
In the statement, which was made to the EUROCITIES network, Cllr Blake said: “The coronavirus crisis and Brexit have created an unprecedented situation for both the UK and the EU. All of our great European cities have been impacted by COVID-19 but by working together, cities will play a crucial and leading role in how we secure our future, to renew our economies and communities, creating greener, more inclusive growth for the future.
“As we approach the end of the Brexit transition period, city to city collaboration at a European level and cooperation within the EUROCITIES network has never been more important. UK Core Cities wish to remain your trusted partners, sharing important European values including those of solidarity, inclusivity, peace and cooperation. We stand shoulder to shoulder with our European partners in our commitment to work together to ensure that all our cities remain open, tolerant, welcoming and vibrant places to live, work and visit.
“We wish to thank EUROCITIES, the Executive Committee and its membership for the fantastic support they have given us since the Brexit referendum. We remain committed to the EUROCITIES network and the priorities set out in its Strategic Framework. We will seek to better align our own political efforts to support the ambitions of EUROCITIES across the various policy areas.”
The UK Core Cities include Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield.
Leeds has been an active member of the EUROCITIES network which has included hosting the EUROCITIES Culture Forum in 2019, and acting as the current chair of the network’s Children and Young People’s Working Group.
Leeds also has a strong sister city relationship with several European cities, including Dortmund and Siegen in Germany, Lille in France and Brno, the second largest city in the Czech Republic.
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