Leiria had invited the six twin towns to the anniversary
Leiria. “More than formal agreements, it is the real connections between people that move us. We want our network of twin cities to grow, especially in the informal sphere: through schools, cultural and sports clubs, universities, businesses and the citizens themselves,” said Leirias Mayor Goncalo Lopez as he welcomed the representatives from six international twin cities. The occasion was the 480th birthday of Rheines twin city, which was celebrated in style last week. The focus was on a four-hour workshop entitled “Learning from each other” at the museum in Leiria.
Mayor Peter Lüttmann presented the current status of digitalization at the city administration Rheine and how the incipient use of artificial intelligence can improve service for citizens and automate routine tasks. AI tools are now writing the minutes of hours-long meetings and summarizing results.
In the near future, the city plans to unveil another project aimed at significantly improving communication with citizens. “The use of artificial intelligence can help us to become a more open, inclusive and modern city,” said Lüttmann, emphasizing the opportunities offered by the use of artificial intelligence.
Reiner Wellmann, Chairman of the town twinning association, briefly presented the “friendsineurope” project. This website allows people in the twin towns to learn more about each other and find out about news in the twin towns. The website is not about politics or borders – it is about idealistic people who are committed, who share their experiences, who build bridges. The number of users made the association optimistic.
The international visitors were also guests at the “Feira de Leiria” – a major event on the stadium grounds. According to Mayor Lopez, the city of Leiria is expecting one million visitors this year. A concert with Andrea Bocelli on May 31, for example, is completely sold out. In general, the use of the 25,000-seat stadium this year gives rise to the hope that the arena, which devours considerable subsidies, can soon be operated more economically.
With interesting examples of modern municipal policy from the twin towns of Cahul (Moldova), Quint-Fonsegrives and Saint Maur des Fosses (France), Quelimane (Mozambique) and Mbombela (South Africa), the exchange of experiences was significant for all participants. “We believe that in a time of global challenges – from climate change, migration and social inclusion to urban mobility and digital education – no community should close in on itself. We have a lot to learn from each other,” said Leirias mayor, summarizing the goals of international cooperation.