Udaipur, India, 04 th June 2019 – Mayor Chandra Singh Kothari and Municipal Commissioner Mr. Ankit Kumar Singh (I.A.S.) on behalf of Udaipur Municipal Corporation Corporation, signed today a partnership agreement with the European Union International Urban Cooperation (IUC) progam.
By signing this agreement, UMC will engage with the partner city of Aarhus, Denmark to develop a Local Action Plan on mutually agreed area of cooperation and exchange best practice experience and know-how. This cooperation builds on the ongoing successful cooperation between Udaipur and Aarhus as part of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs strategic sector cooperation.
Through this programme, UMC will align its smart city targets pertaining to sustainable urban development with international best practices and will experience sustainable benefits for the city.
Honorable Mayor stated: “I express my high satisfaction about this partnership. The lessons learnt from the Udaipur-Aarhus cooperation on urban best practices will be of great value to our city but also to other cities in Rajasthan and neighbouring states”.
Municipal commissioner of Udaipur Municipal Corporation has also expressed his pleasure to have Udaipur as one of the participating cities under the IUC program. He said, “global partnerships and exchange of technology are very important components of efficient urban planning. Udaipur is taking the lead in this area and we are looking forward to a very productive partnership and useful outcome.”
Dr. P. Karamanos, IUC/India Team Leader stated: “We are delighted to welcome Udaipur as one of the IUC project cities. We place great importance in further strengthening the on-going partnership between Aarhus and Udaipur and building on the ongoing work as part of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs strategic sector cooperation. Our objective is to reach tangible outcomes based on policy and technology contributions.”
IUC programme
The IUC programme boosts cooperation on sustainable urban development between EU cities and partner cities in India, East Asia, North and South America. IUC/India, is part of the corresponding global IUC Programme. It is financed by the European Union, and implemented by a consortium of GFA Consulting Group GmbH (leader) and CRISIL. Through the programme, local leaders will connect and gain new perspectives on pressing sustainable urban development issues. EU and Indian cities are paired based on common priorities and development interests, allowing both parties to build cooperation and share knowledge. Representatives from both cities will attend exchange visits and will together develop a local action plan to drive the cities' sustainable urban development.

About the European Union (EU):
The EU, which consists of 28 countries, has the world's largest economy and its third largest population, after China and India. Though richly diverse, the countries that make up the EU (its 'Member States') are all committed to the same basic values: peace, democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights. They have set up common institutions so that decisions on matters of joint interest can be made democratically at European level. By creating a frontier-free single market and a single currency (the euro) which has been adopted by 19 Member States, the EU has given a significant boost to trade and employment. It is also at the forefront of policies on sustainability.

EU-India relations: For Over 50 years the EU and India have worked together to reduce poverty, prevent disasters, expand trade, and promote joint research in energy, health, agriculture and many other fields of mutual interest. More information at: http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/india

For more information on IUC consult www.iuc.eu or contact Ashish Verma averma@iuc-india.eu