Interview: A rich period for Strasbourg diplomacy, says deputy mayor

"We are experiencing today a rich moment in diplomatic activity," said Nawel Rafik-Elmrini deputy mayor of Strasbourg charged with European and international relations, during an interview with Xinhua.

With the construction of new consular buildings for China and Turkey programmed, as well as the opening of a new Indian consulate in January 2015, and the inauguration of an honorary Mongolian consulate set for April 23, Strasbourg is enjoying an increase in diplomatic activity, further developing its role as a hub for international relations.

The new Chinese consular building will be built on a property of around 8,800 square meters. It is projected to be the largest consular building in Strasbourg when it is completed.

"Thanks to the presence of these diplomatic representations, we benefit from political, economic, and cultural exchange," Rafik-Elmrini explained.

Capital of the Alsace region of France, and strategically located in the flourishing Rhine Valley, Strasbourg has been a site of European diplomatic importance since it was chosen in 1949 as the seat of the newly created Council of Europe (CoE) and became the enduring symbol of Franco-German reconciliation after the Second World War.

It has gone on to host several other international institutions, including the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), and the European Parliament (EP). Among residents and business partners, the city is referred to as "Capital of Europe" and around town tourists will often see the popular slogan, "Strasbourg the Europtimist."

According to an official source from the city, Strasbourg hosts 47 general consulates and one embassy (Mexico). This does not include 54 permanent representations to the CoE, of which 47 are from members and 7 from observers, and who interact regularly with city and regional officials.

Strasbourg officials have at times had to fight to maintain the city's status, however. In May 2012, Germany announced that it intended to close its consulate in Strasbourg by 2014, but city officials and neighboring communities reversed the decision after an extended diplomatic campaign.

Belgium also announced in December 2014 that it planned to close 18 consulates and embassies throughout Europe, including a shutdown of consular services currently in Strasbourg. If the decision is maintained, it would take effect later in 2015.

Rafik-Elmrini made it clear, however, that all efforts would be made to avoid seeing the Belgians shut their doors.

"We had this experience two years ago with Germany, and we'll campaign until the final moment to try to keep the Belgian consulate," the deputy mayor said.

Strasbourg's status as EP seat has also been challenged. Environmentalists and budget-conscious critics have criticized the costs of the current system, whereby the EP is legally obliged to hold 12 monthly sessions a year in Strasbourg, while its secretariat meets in Luxembourg, and other business is conducted in Brussels.

"For a Europe in economic crisis, it is more urgent than ever to reinvest in the shared values which Strasbourg represents," Rafik-Elmrini explained.

"With the threat of radicalization, and continued economic difficulties around Europe, it's now that we remember that here in Strasbourg we have tools to address these problems through the CoE, the EHCR, and our other institutions," she said.

It's true that in 1949, it was in Strasbourg that Winston Churchill, Robert Schuman, and the other founders of the CoE sought to establish the basis for a "united Europe," and the shared values that would maintain it. They were successful in many ways, not the least in dispelling the last of Franco-German tensions.

Today, only New York and Geneva share with Strasbourg the status of a city which hosts multiple international institutions without being the capital of its home nation. Enditem