On behalf of U.S. Conference of Mayors President and Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Conference CEO and Executive Director Tom Cochran today extended congratulations to the new Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and invited Khan to address the Conference’s 84th Annual Meeting in Indianapolis this June.
“The mayors of the United States have been watching this race intently, and were delighted by the news of your historic victory and your desire to meet and collaborate with the mayors of the United States,” said Cochran in a letter to London City Hall. He added, “The U.S. Conference of Mayors has a proud history of engaging internationally, and we feel strongly about our relationship with London City Hall. On the occasion of your election, we look forward to welcoming you to the United States and fostering an even stronger relationship between London and our mayors.”
Cochran invited Khan to visit the United States and speak at the 84th Annual Conference of Mayors, which will be held on June 24-27th in Indianapolis. In 2001, the Conference of Mayors hosted Ken Livingstone, the first Mayor of London, at its 69th Winter Meeting in Washington.
Khan, the son of a Pakistani bus driver and a longtime figure in the Labour Party, is the first Muslim to be elected mayor of a Western capital.
Cochran said, “Mayor Khan’s election comes at a time when anti-Muslim sentiments are evident in Europe and the United States. The Conference of Mayors condemns bigotry in all forms, including Islamophobia, and mayors have engaged with Islamic clergy and communities over the course of our history.”
