Congress members from Eastern Partnership and European Union countries expressed their satisfaction at the progress of the project to 'strengthen insitutional frameworks for local governance in the EaP region'. Nina Costiuc, Mayor of Budesti, municipality of Chisinau said that she could already see a difference in the attitude of the mayors who took part in the 'Leaders for Change' workshops that they were move confident and more self-assured. She also said she was sure the project would help them achieve democratic consolidation.

Robert Biederon, Mayor of Slupsk, Poland who had also took part in the Leaders for Change' workshops as a trainer, stressed how important this peer-to-peer contact is and the importance of the exchange of experience and good practice. He felt it was a win-win situation both for the mayors being trained and the mayors doing the training.

On the eve of the 30th session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, the Congress held a meeting on cooperation activities in the Eastern Partnership countries (21 March).

More information on the joint Council of Europe/European Union project to strengthen local democracy on Eastern Partnership countries can be found on the thematic page.