I am glad that Vienna has been re-elected as a Member of the Board of the League of Historical Cities and as Vice-President together with Xian. Vienna has been active in the League in the past years and will continue to play an active part also in the future. Vienna is a truly international city and hosts a number of international organizations including the United Nations. We are therefore also very interested in actively participating in interregional and interlocal organizations.

As an ancient capital of thirteen dynasties in China，it is a great honor that Xian has been re-elected to the Board of Director at the General Assembly held on the occasion of the 12th World Conference　of Historical Cities in Nara. I will make every effort to work with all the members from LHC, to actively promote cultural exchange among historical cities in protection of cultural heritage and modernization of urban construction. For the future, the city of Xian will fully demonstrate the value of cultural heritage and strengthen international exchanges with other historical cities. Also we will continuously enhance the level of protection and utilization of cultural heritage and create a better living environment for our citizens.

Ballarat is proud to continue its role on the Board of Directors of the League of Historical Cities. In terms of built heritage, Ballarat is one of the youngest and smallest members of the League of Historical Cities - however our history is equally rich, and quite unique. Ballarat’s membership of the League points to our shared interest in heritage and history. Regardless of the respective sizes and ages of the cities we represent, we are bound together by common concerns which go beyond heritage to global issues such as climate change and sustainability. The League provides historical cities of very different complexions with important opportunities to discuss how we can take our cities into the future without compromising our unique heritage and history in the process.

I am honored by designation of Gyeongju City as the director city of the League of Historical Cities once again through the General Assembly of the LHC 2010 held on the occasion of the 12th World Conference of the Historical Cities. Gyeongju, as a director city of the League of Historical Cities, shall assertively assist with and participate not only in broader exchange between the member cities but also the League’s activities in order to seek resolution of various tasks confronted with and advance in accordance with the purpose of establishment of the League.　Historical cities with excellent cultural resources must be preserved at the global level and passed onto our descendents. The role of the League of Historical Cities and its member cities is highly important in order for use to globally benefit from these precious historical cultures.

During the 12th World Conference of Historical Cities held in Nara in 2010, I had the honor to represent the historical city of Isfahan and to enjoy the nice arrangements and the great hospitality of the Conference hosts, more specifically H.E. Daisaku Kodawaka, the Honorable Mayor of Kyoto and the President of the League of Historical Cities, and H.E. Gen Nakagawa, the Honorable Mayor of Nara. The Conference was a success in achieving its goals and its neat organization allowed all the participants to enjoy the beauty and history of the City of Nara.I was doubly privileged in that I was also elected as one of the Board Members and Directors of the League of Historical Cities, which is a great honor both for the City of Isfahan and for me representing it.

I am very honoured that Konya has been elected to the board of directors for the Leauge of Historical Cities. Konya will continue to play his active role in the leauge and the cooperation between cities.

Electing Odessa as the member of the Board of Directors of such prestigious international organization as the League of Historical Cities is an honour for our city. We will work hard on preserving historical and cultural values, on increasing our contribution to the world cultural heritage, and will develop cooperation with other members of the League.