"We are happy that Dubrovnik, Mostar and Ohrid are here with us today and that we had this opportunity to sign together a Memorandum of Friendship between our four cities. I'm certain that this is a signpost for everyone on how to advance cooperation between cities in the region, particularly between those that share common values and problems," Kotor Mayor Vladimir Jokic said.
He said that the memorandum is the first step of what is yet to follow and that is joint projects and applications to international organisations.
"I'm certain that signing this memorandum is the basis of future cooperation and the way that will bring benefit to the cities and their residents," Jokic said.
Dubrovnik Mayor Mato Frankovic said that the memorandum had not been signed before due to numerous problems and challenges facing UNESCO cities that "we can resolve together and make suggestions to each other on how to work."
"At the same time, we can jointly apply to European funds and other possible financing sources for various activities and resolve through cooperation everything that we consider important - promote sports and improve our existing infrastructure through the exchange of experience," Frankovic said.
He added that some activities have already been launched when it comes to sustainable tourism.
"With regard to destination management, we are in very active talks with Kotor about that, how and in what way to work in the future with regard to the issue of guests from cruisers and how to control tourism or how to reconstruct our monumental heritage. We have already held talks and this is confirmation of what we have already worked on. This won't just be signing another document and won't remain at that and cooperation will develop in various segments over the coming months," Frankovic said.
The mayors of UNESCO-recognised cities are attending a two-day meeting in Kotor of the directors of the Organisation of World Heritage Cities (OWHC).