Coordination of Euregional and International Relations

Aachen has a special location due to its direct proximity to Belgium and the Netherlands. The city of Aachen is very keen to promote direct municipal exchange and to work closely with the municipalities on the border on various issues. It is therefore involved in the Charlemagne working group, an association of cities and municipalities: Heerlen, Parkstad Limburg, Vaals, the municipalities of the German-speaking Community, Städteregion Aachen and the City of Aachen.

The MAHHL+ network of Maastricht, Aachen, Heerlen, Hasselt, Liège, Sittard-Geleen and Genk forms the exchange platform for the larger cities in the border region. A regular meeting of the mayors is also part of the network's fixed program as well as joint conferences, for example on the topic of security.

The City of Aachen, as part of the Aachen region, is a member of the board and the assembly of the European Association for Territorial Cooperation Euregio Meuse-Rhine. Further information can be found at https://euregio-mr.info/de/

The partner city of Cape Town emerged from an Agenda 21 partner city with a focus on the joint implementation of the SDGs at municipal level. Against this backdrop, exchanges take place at regular intervals, both online and in person, on sustainability topics such as climate protection and urban development. In addition, the City of Aachen works closely with the Aachen-Kapstadt Association. https://aachen-kapstadt.de/

Immediately after the start of the Russian invasion, the Aachen City Council decided to establish a solidarity partnership with the Ukrainian city of Chernihiv on the initiative of the Ukrainer in Aachen e.V. association. Since then, there has been close cooperation between the cities. The city of Aachen is also involved in various aid projects and acquires sponsored projects to support Chernihiv.