30 November, Vitebsk /Diana Kurilo - BELTA/. Polotsk participated for the first time in the annual Covenant of Mayors ceremony, which took place in Brussels on 29 November, the BELTA correspondent was informed at the Polotsk City Executive Committee. Having signed the Covenant of Mayors in September of this year, the ancient city became the first Belarusian participant in the European initiative for energy saving and ecology. Within the framework of the Covenant of Mayors ceremony, a forum was also held, where the significance and prospects for the development of this initiative were discussed. According to the Chairman of the Polotsk City Executive Committee, Alexander Poznyak, the forum is a productive way to discuss problems. "This format provides an opportunity for heads of local authorities to meet with high-ranking representatives of European institutions to discuss joint measures for energy development. I have no doubt that this dialogue will give an additional impetus to achieving energy saving goals both in Europe as a whole and in the city of Polotsk in particular," said the Chairman of the Polotsk City Executive Committee. The Covenant of Mayors ceremony takes place every year. Representatives of cities that have signed the Covenant of Mayors, as well as structures and organizations supporting this initiative, gather together to declare at the European level their intention to achieve a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by at least 20% by 2020, and also to present the results of their activities in this area. This year, the Covenant of Mayors ceremony brought together over a thousand participants, including heads of major regions and cities in Europe, such as London, Munich, Bucharest, Rome, Warsaw, as well as high-ranking European officials. Within the framework of the EU SURE project "Sustainable Energy Development in Cities of the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument Region - Towards the Covenant of Mayors," a sustainable energy development plan for Polotsk until 2020 has been developed. This plan will be submitted for consideration by the Polotsk Council of Deputies at the beginning of next year. The implementation of the plan's measures will allow Polotsk to significantly reduce energy consumption and increase energy efficiency.-0-

BELTA