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09 / 09 / 2004
The mayor of Monterrey hopes to repeat in 2007 the successes of the Barcelona Forum
The mayor of Monterrey, Ricardo Canavati, has expressed his hope that the second edition of the Forum, to be celebrated in this Mexican city in 2007, will know how to "to work on the reasons for the success in Barcelona". Canavati, who will be present at the closing ceremony of Forum Barcelona 2004, repeated at a meeting with Catalan and Spanish journalists, the need to reach a political consensus that will be the driving force for the celebration of Forum 2007.
The mayor of Monterrey has declared that the first time he considered the idea of hosting Forum 2007 "I saw that it was a very ambitious project, that required much effort, much work and many material and economic resources. But also I saw that it would return definite benefits to the community and the city of Monterrey". Among the latter, Ricardo Canavati emphasized that "city-planning deficiencies will be resolved, such as the serious road problems in the southern zone of Monterrey. The municipality and private corporations will invest in the central zone, which will be redeveloped to a very high degree. For the Forum, and under the slogan "regia metropoli", Monterrey will be improved as was done in Barcelona”.
Canavati also guaranteed that the Forum 2007 project will not prevent the Monterrey City Council from continuing its work on the more modest zones of the city and trying to solve its water, fluvial drainage, lighting and pavement problems. The mayor also gave the assurance that the interests of those affected in the large-scale redevelopment of the central zone will be safeguarded. Among the projects planned there is an area of 40 hectares in the Fundidora Park, which is to be center stage of Forum 2007, and where there are houses.
Canavati appealed for political consensus to guarantee the viability of Forum 2007. "This project will be carried out because the majority are convinced. And if political consensus is not reached, I am convinced that with the passage of time, when people feel the benefits it is going to generate, they will realize that it is better to be supportive and better to work independently of the political branch". "I am convinced that a good part of the population of Monterrey is going to take an active part in the Forum, because if we put it in people’s minds that there are going to be benefits they are going it to take it on as their own and are going to collaborate", he added.
Canavati explained that the project is going to be led by the Governor of the State of New Leon and the Monterrey City Council will occupy the position of the vice-presidency of the Board of Forum 2007. The city aspires to recruit about 3,000 workers and volunteers and the museums and cultural equipment of the municipality will be involved in the promotion of an event that "will try to avoid the few failures of Barcelona in its starting phase and to work on the reasons for the Forum’s success in the Catalan capital", affirmed Canavati, who then added: "we hope it will also go well for us".
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