The symbolic decision while the war is raging in Ukraine, should be adopted on Tuesday, March 22 by the Paris Council.
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The gesture is purely symbolic, “but the symbols, it can have weight,” says Arnaud Ngatcha, the Assistant responsible for International Relations at the Paris City Hall. The capital is preparing to grant its “citizenship of honor” in kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, target of Russian bombing. The measure will be officially taken at the next Municipal Council, Tuesday, March 22, after a debate on the situation in Ukraine in the presence of the Ambassador of that country in France. “I do not doubt that the decision will be voted unanimously of the elected representatives of Paris,” says Arnaud Ngatcha.
For twenty years, Paris regularly makes “citizens of honor” people engaged in the defense of fundamental freedoms around the world, and often imprisoned. A way for the municipality to provide them with support, or even symbolic protection, but also and show the Parisians that it tries to act on topics that arouse emotion, even if it has little means of International intervention.
The distinction has been granted to twenty-nine times, personalities such as Franco-Colombian Ingrid Betancourt, the Bangladish Taslima Nasreen, South African Nelson Mandela, the Congolese Denis Mukwege, or in the newspaper Charlie Hebdo. “Once released, the citizens of honor have often told us how much the gesture of Paris had been a comfort for them”, assures Arnaud Ngatcha.
A first for a city
With kyiv, this is the first time that this distinction will be awarded to a city. In general, Paris rather signs friendship and cooperation agreements with the cities it wants to support, as with Istanbul in 2009 or Yerevan in 2011.
“This time, we also asked ourselves the question, says Arnaud Ngtacha. But such an agreement implies legally a reciprocity. However, with war, it is impossible to ask kyiv to provide for a support program to Paris. In addition, if by misfortune kyiv fell tomorrow, those who would take the city could claim the treaty concluded with Paris. “In accordance with the Mayor of kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, his counterpart Anne Hidalgo has therefore opted for this citizenship of honor exceptional.
Some elected officials, like the Catherine Ibled Macronist, have also suggested to give kyiv’s name to a street near the Russian Embassy, as other cities did, but the track does not have been resumed at this point. The support provided by Paris does not stop at this testimony of solidarity. Emergency assistance of 1 million euros must also be validated Tuesday for associations involved in Ukraine, in neighboring countries, or in Paris with Ukrainian refugees.
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