Secretariat, Taipei City Government

On June 30, Taipei City Deputy Mayor Wen-Te Chang and his delegation arrived in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. Deputy Mayor Chang signed a Memorandum of Understanding on municipal cooperation between the two cities. On July 1, Deputy Mayor Chang and his delegation exchanged their knowledge and experience on municipal affairs such as waste recycling and urban planning.

On July 1, Deputy Mayor Chang first visited Sensoneo, an innovative tech company focusing on smart waste management and recycling systems. He held discussions with Sensoneo CEO Martin Basila, Deputy CEO Peter Knaz—whose wife is Taiwanese —and other senior executives. Deputy Mayor Chang remarked that since the implementation of Taipei’s designated garbage bag policy, the city has reduced overall waste volume and increased recycling rates, highlighting the tangible benefits of Taipei’s urban governance. He noted that Taipei would continue to adopt smart city applications, such as smart recycling, data management, and waste collection route optimization, to enhance environmental quality and operational efficiency. He expressed his hopes for deeper, multifaceted exchanges and cooperation between the two cities to enhance resilience and sustainability.

Later that day, Deputy Mayor Chang and his delegation, accompanied by an architect from Bratislava Old Town’s Strategic Project Management Department, observed the Eurovea City integrated urban development project. Urban design expert Martin Zaiček guided the tour, presenting historical photographs and design plans and explaining the area’s transformation process. A surface tramline is also planned. The experience of this development site could serve as a reference for Taipei’s brownfield redevelopment and waterfront planning projects.

On July 2, Deputy Mayor Chang led a joint delegation of the Taipei City Government and Taipei City Council—comprising Acting Delegation Leader Councilor Hsin-I Wang, Councilor Chih-Ping Wang, and Councilor Chih-Hao Chang—to the Versailles City Government in France. Versailles City Deputy Mayor Florence Mellor received the Taipei delegation on behalf of the Versailles City Government and invited them to the Versailles City Council Chamber to warmly welcome their visit. Both sides reaffirmed their 39-year sister-city relationship and exchanged views on topics such as cultural exchange, demonstrating a strong willingness to deepen their cooperation.

Deputy Mayor Chang stated that Mayor Wan-An Chiang had asked him to visit Versailles prior to attending the World Cities Summit Mayors Forum in Vienna, underscoring Mayor Chiang’s emphasis on the sister-city relationship between Taipei and Versailles. He hoped to learn from France’s cultural development policies and continue to deepen the bilateral exchanges between the two cities. Deputy Mayor Mellor responded positively, saying that she would convey the message to Versailles Mayor François de Mazières and continue promoting ongoing exchanges between the two cities. 

Deputy Mayor Chang shared that this visit marked his first time in Versailles and also in France. Before meeting with Deputy Mayor Mellor, he toured the Palace of Versailles and was deeply impressed by the splendor of Louis XIV’s era and the city’s artistic and cultural achievements. He also mentioned that since 2016, Taipei has participated annually in Paris’ “Nuit Blanche” (White Night) event, and has launched its own signature cultural events such as “Trendy Taipei.” He sincerely welcomed artists from Versailles and across France to participate in these events, and expressed hopes for future cultural exchanges with Versailles to strengthen the sister-city bond.

Deputy Mayor Chang concluded by saying that next year would mark the 40th anniversary of the sister-city relationship between Taipei and Versailles. He wished Mayor de Mazières and his team continued success in public service and ongoing recognition from citizens, and extended a warm invitation for Mayor de Mazières and Versailles city delegations to visit Taipei to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their sisterhood. Deputy Mayor Mellor expressed her gratitude for the invitation.

Versailles became Taipei’s first sister city in Europe on June 21, 1986, when then-Taipei Mayor Hsu Shui-Teh and then-Versailles Mayor Andre Damien signed a sister-city agreement, establishing the foundation for bilateral exchanges between the two cities. The current visit by the Taipei City Government and Taipei City Council marked the first time in 10 years that Taipei has visited Versailles, renewing the enduring friendship between the two cities.