BELGIUM – Danny Pomanto was the only mayor from ASEAN present at the 2023 Urban Summit which took place at Brussels City Hall, Belgium, last Monday (12/6).

Speaking to The Editor, Danny said that he was given a chance to sit and have lunch with the Queen Mathilde of Belgium in the royal palace on Thursday (15/6).

Sitting at the same table with the Queen, the Mayor of Makassar didn’t want to waste the opportunity to have a discussion with her.

Moreover, only 18 out of 400 cities in various countries in the world have had the opportunity, and Makassar is the one and only from ASEAN.

“Alhamdulillah, she [Queen Mathilde of Belgium] is very interested in the programs of Makassar City Government,” Danny said.

Apart from being attended by the Queen, the royal lunch session was also attended by Belgian Minister-President Rudi Vervoort, State Secretary Pascal Smet, and Mayor of Brussels Philippe Close.

The Mayor of Montevideo Uruguay, the Mayor of Leipzig Germany, the Mayor of Athens Greece, the Mayor of Bologna Italy, and the Mayor of Glasgow United Kingdom also attended the event.

Learn Disaster Management From Paris

After the 2023 Brussels Urban Summit, Danny Pomanto fulfilled an invitation from Bruno Maestracci (Controleur General Service D’incendie et de secours) in Melun, France.

“I came to his office, Service D’incendie et de secours in Melun, to see how disasters are handled in France, especially in Paris and its surroundings,” said Danny.

In France, he continued, every young man is required to take part in firefighting training which is a mandatory program for the local government.

“We were also shown the sophistication of the equipment they have. At this moment I am presented with the French firefighter’s helmet of honor,” he added.

Previously, Mayor Danny Pomanto was asked to be a speaker at the Metropolis Policy Debate session with the Mayor of Brussels Philippe Close and Mayor of Bogota Claudia Lopez.

They discussed the issue of green cities which are currently a global challenge. The title of the discussion is “Greening Cities: A Pathway to Social Inclusion”.

During the discussion, Danny Pomanto explained several steps taken by the Makassar City Government in building the city into a resilient and livable place.

This action is an effort by the Makassar City Government to adapt to global challenges, such as population disasters, pandemics, geopolitics, and climate change.

Sumber : theeditor.id