Toespraak burgemeester bij de ontvangst van burgemeesters uit Noord-Macedonië op 8 juni 2026

Distinguished Mayors, dear colleagues from North Macedonia,

It is a great pleasure and an honour to welcome you to The Hague, the international city of peace and justice.

It is also a city that is constantly reinventing itself through innovation, sustainability, and the energy of its young people.

Your visit today is more than a formal exchange.

It is a meeting of communities that share the same ambition: to build cities where young people can thrive.

And where the circular economy is not a distant ideal but a practical reality shaping our streets, our businesses, and our future.

In The Hague, we believe that youth are not only the leaders of tomorrow, they are the co-creators of today.

Their creativity, their urgency, and their sense of responsibility push us to think differently.

Whether it is through youth councils, start-up incubators, or community initiatives: we see every day how young people help us design better policies and more inclusive solutions.

I know that in North Macedonia, too, young people are stepping forward with ideas, entrepreneurship, and a strong desire to contribute to society.

This shared commitment gives us a powerful foundation for cooperation.

Equally important is our joint focus on the circular economy.

Cities across Europe are discovering that circular thinking is not only good for the planet, it is good for local jobs, for innovation, and for social cohesion.

Here in The Hague, we work closely with businesses, universities, and neighbourhood organisations to reduce waste, reuse materials, and create new economic opportunities.

But we also know that no city can do this alone.

We learn from each other, we borrow ideas, and we adapt them to our own local realities.

That is why your presence here matters. By exchanging experiences – what works, what doesn’t, what inspires – we strengthen our cities and our citizens.

We build bridges that allow us to move faster and more confidently toward a sustainable future.

I hope your time in The Hague will be fruitful, inspiring, and enjoyable.

May it spark new ideas that will travel back with you to North Macedonia.

On behalf of our city, I wish you a warm welcome and a productive visit.