Mayor welcomes Nordic and Benelux delegates to the city to showcase peace and reconciliation work
16 May 2024
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The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council welcomed a team of Deputy Ambassadors from the Nordic and Benelux regions to the Guildhall this week as part of their first visit to the City region.
The Deputy Ambassadors of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Iceland and Denmark visited Ireland on Tuesday 14th and Wednesday 15th May, stopping off at the Guildhall on Wednesday morning. The aim of the trip was for the delegates to gain an insight into the different perspectives with regard to the political situation currently in Northern Ireland and they wanted to visit Derry in a bid to learn more about the Peace and reconciliation work that takes place in the city.
Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Cllr Patricia Louge, said she was delighted to welcome the team to the city and discuss the revolutionary work that has been going on in the city and district in recent decades.
“It was fantastic to bring this amazing team of Nordic and Benelux Deputy Ambassadors to our beautiful city and district to showcase and discuss all the transformative and peaceful work that has been happening right across our region. We are immensely proud of the work that has undergone here from all communities, and we are delighted to have the opportunity to act as a role model for other areas within the world.
“It was encouraging to hear how impressed the delegation was by the strong collaboration and partnership we have developed here across our divided communities and political parties. We have created, and continue to work on creating a safe and welcoming environment for everyone and we pride ourselves on our collaborative work together.”
The visiting delegation, along with the Mayor and council representatives, visited the Peace IV Waterside Shared Village as part of their visit on Wednesday afternoon.
The visiting delegation including the following individuals: Øyvind Hernes, Minister Counsellor/ Deputy Head of Mission, Royal Norwegian Embassy, London, Åsa Theander, Minister Counsellor and the Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Sweden in London, Heli Lehto, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Finland in London, Jóhanna Jónsdóttir, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Iceland, London, Andrzej Bielecki, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Belgium to the UK, London and Deputy Permanent Representative to the International Maritime Organisation as well as Catherine Franklin, Counsellor at the Royal Danish Embassy to the UK.