A former PIPA guest in Metz: Mayor Quinton Lucas formalizes the twinning (Sister City) agreement with Kansas City

A former PIPA guest in Metz: Mayor Quinton Lucas formalizes the twinning (Sister City) agreement with Kansas City

2025-07-15 12:07:00

2025-07-16 12:10:32

2025-07-15 15:27:20

A former PIPA guest in MetzQuinton Lucas was hosted in France in October 2023 as part of the Future Leaders Invitation Program (PIPA). His visit focused on the theme of sport as a driver of economic and social development, in connection with preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States.A leading political figure visits Metz for the signing of the Sister City agreementOn June 14, 2025, Quinton Lucas, Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri and former PIPA participant, returned  to Metz with a delegation of political and business leaders to formalize the twinning between the two cities, sealing more than two decades of cultural and artistic exchanges. On this occasion, he also visited the Verdun Memorial, paying tribute to the historical ties between France and the United States and recognizing that Kansas City is the home to the United States National World War I Museum and Memorial  The Sister Cities agreement, which was signed by Mayor Lucas and Metz Mayor François Grosdidier, included four areas of cooperation:  economic engagement, cultural exchanges, promotion of education including the French and English languages, and the preservation of the memory of World War I. Metz mayor François Grosdidier was presented with a supporter's scarf for Kansas City, host of six matches at the 2026 World Cup.  Photo Gilles WirtzA mayor committed to inclusionElected in 2019 and re-elected in 2023, Quinton Lucas is a rising figure in American politics. Born in a working-class neighborhood he has become a driving force for social transformation:Introduction of fare-free public transportation,Creation of a housing trust fund for affordable housing,Active promotion of diversity in public institutions,Strong involvement in the organization of the FIFA World Cup 2026, for which Kansas City is one of the host cities.A transatlantic friendship celebrated through musicThe twinning (Sister City) ceremony took place in a warm and festive atmosphere, highlighted by a jazz concert held in the auditorium of the Metz Conservatory, with musicians from the Univeristy of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC) Conservatory participating as part of an artist residency. This moment underscored the vitality of cultural exchanges between the two cities and the fact that both cities are recognized as UNESCO Creative Cities for Music.Tribute in VerdunThe day after the ceremony, Mayor Lucas and a delegation from Kansas City visited the Verdun Memorial, in a symbolic act of remembrance and shared history.From left to right: Jérôme Dumont (Chair of the Departmental Council and Mayor of Verdun), Quinton Lucas (Mayor of Kansas City), Samuel Hazard (delegate), and Pascal Huber (Councillor for Metz Eurometropole). Photo: M. B.  

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