Austria, North Macedonia join 2026 Global Mayors Dialogue in Ningbo

Officials from Austria and North Macedonia are among delegates from 15 countries meeting in Ningbo, China, from Nov. 2 to 5 for the 2026 Global Mayors Dialogue. The forum produced 14 cooperation projects, new city partnerships and a consensus aimed at keeping trade, industrial and people-to-people ties open.

Why it matters: - The Ningbo forum is bringing city leaders together to talk about openness, trade and practical cooperation at a time when municipalities are looking for ways to keep supply chains and international ties stable. - The meeting is also producing new cross-border partnerships that can shape future exchanges in business, education and culture.

What happened: - Aleksandar Kitanski, mayor of Pehčevo in North Macedonia, and Sebastian Kovacs, a representative of the Wiener Neustadt city government in Austria, joined officials from 15 countries at the 2026 Global Mayors Dialogue · Ningbo. - The gathering is taking place in Zhejiang province from Nov. 2 to 5, 2026. - Participants include Wayne Brown, mayor of Auckland, New Zealand; Enrico Ricci, representative of the mayor of Florence and president of the Economic Development Commission of the city council; Ahmed Wazeery, secretary-general of Suez Governorate, Egypt; Hosam Alkaweesh, assistant minister of local development and environment of Egypt; and Said Karimi, mayor of Errachidia, Morocco. - Representatives from international organizations are also attending, including Liu Meng, head of the China Office of the United Nations Global Compact, and Zhou Qiangwu, former vice president and chief administrative officer of the New Development Bank.

The details: - The theme of the program is “Openness and Connectivity for Shared Opportunities.” - The agenda includes one main mayoral dialogue, two scenario dialogues and three cultural exchange activities. - Delegates visited Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, described as the world’s largest port by cargo throughput, along with Ningbo Yaji Logistics Co., Ltd., Ningbo PIA Automation Holding Corp., Peacebird Group, Dongqian Lake and the Old Bund. - At Ningbo PIA Automation, visitors toured workshops where embodied robots are produced. - The tour focused on how a city can open further and identify the next opportunities for growth. - At the main session, 14 cooperation projects were signed across friendly exchanges, economic and trade cooperation, science and technology, education and cultural tourism. - Yuyao in Zhejiang and Errachidia in Morocco established friendly exchange relations. - Yinzhou District of Ningbo and Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray in France also established friendly exchange relations. - The Ningbo Consensus on Cooperative Development was released at the meeting. - The consensus calls on cities to remain open and connected, deepen industrial collaboration, strengthen people-to-people ties, and work together to keep industrial and supply chains stable and flowing. - The event also includes a seven-section exhibition, “Ningbo and the World,” focused on local companies taking Ningbo’s culture overseas. - At the Night of Ningbo, classic books selected by Ningbo and visiting cities were added to the collection of Tianyi Pavilion, built in 1561 and known as the oldest private library still standing in China.

Between the lines: - The dialogue is positioning Ningbo as both a manufacturing hub and a platform for international municipal diplomacy. - The mix of port visits, factory tours and cultural exchanges suggests the forum is meant to turn abstract cooperation into concrete city-to-city and business-to-business links. - Joachim Moyse, mayor of Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray and vice president of Métropole Rouen Normandie, called the dialogue a round table for building a framework for peace and said cities should help restore hope through cooperation. - Moyse said he wanted to take Ningbo’s approach to serving different social groups and building the city around people’s needs back to France.

What's next: - The forum runs through Nov. 5, leaving room for additional meetings and follow-up on the signed projects. - The new city partnerships and the Ningbo Consensus are likely to guide further exchanges in trade, innovation, education and culture. - Organizers appear to be using the dialogue to extend Ningbo’s international outreach beyond the event itself.

The bottom line: - Ningbo used the 2026 Global Mayors Dialogue to lock in cooperation projects, launch new city ties and promote a message of open, connected urban development.